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Saturday 5 April 2008

Combined nevus

A 16-year-old girl consulted for a melanocytic nevus with 2 colors located on her back.
Dermoscopy revealed a globular pattern associated with a central homogenous pattern (darker area) in favor of a benign combined nevus.

A combined nevus is a nevus which contains two or more components, most often with 2 distinct colors.
In some cases combined nevus consists of a typical blue nevus associated with another kind of nevus.
A combined nevi can clinically mimick melanomas because of the markedly variegated coloration and asymmetry suggestive of a melanoma occuring on pre-existing nevus.
Dermoscopically , combined nevi present with a multicomponent pattern (homogenous, reticular and globular in combinations )
If a combined nevus is composed of a blue nevus and a common nevus, dermoscopy reveals the stereotypical findings of a blue nevus, namely ( homogenous blue-gray pigmentation without observable local features)