Benign Melanocytic Lesions

Melanocytic nevi are common skin lesions and the primary differential diagnosis of early presentations of cutaneous melanoma. Their accurate recognition is critical for efficient skin cancer detection. In this chapter, the authors review the common dermatoscopic patterns of melanocytic nevi, including reticular, globular, homogeneous, starburst, peripheral globules, multicomponent patterns, and their variants. They also discuss banal/common nevi, atypical/dysplastic nevi, growing nevi, and congenital nevi. The majority of melanocytic nevi reveal symmetry of colors and structures across two axes and can be categorized into easily recognizable, reproducible patterns based on the color and distribution of structures. Finally, the authors point out dermatoscopic features relevant to less common nevus subtypes, including halo nevi, balloon cell nevi, traumatized nevi, combined nevi, and nevi subjected to ultraviolet irradiation.