ATYPICAL MOLE SYNDROME - RISK FACTOR FOR CUTANEOUS MALIGNANT-MELANOMAAND IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing faster than that of any other cancer. It is important to identify subsets of the populatio n at high risk of its development so that they can be observed more cl osely to identify early melanomas when they are curable. It has been r eported worldwide that persons with the atypical mole (dysplastic nevu s) syndrome are such a subset at increased risk. A risk gradient for t he development of melanoma exists and varies from persons with one or two atypical moles and no family history of melanoma at one end of the spectrum to persons with the familiar atypical multiple-mole melanoma syndrome at the other. Guidelines for the management of atypical mole syndrome are presented.