Dysplastic nevus--a risk factor of developing skin melanoma clinical and epidemiological study with retrospective review of literature.

Dysplastic nevus is a risk factor for developing skin melanoma. The aim was to analyze patients with both skin melanoma and dysplastic nevi. A 10-year retrospective analysis (1999-2009) was conducted at the Department for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Clinical Centre Vojvodina. During the observed time interval, of 482 patients treated for skin melanoma, 165 (34.2%) had also dysplastic nevi. Melanoma developed more often de novo (67.9%) and 32.1% by malignant alteration. The most dominant type of melanoma was nodular one (70.3%), the most frequent depth being 3.1-4mm (40.6%). The highest incidence of melanoma (32.1%) was in patients aged from 51 to 60 years. The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 72.7% and 50.3%, respectively. Our results correspond to those found in literature except for the fact that the majority of diagnosed melanomas were of nodular type with worse prognosis.