Dermoscopy Case of the Month Combined Nevus - a Case Report

Abstract

Combined nevi are melanocytic lesions composed of two or more distinct types of melanocytic populations within the same lesion. Different types of combined nevi may form bizarrely shaped, multicolored skin lesions, making them one of the greatest melanoma mimickers. We report a 48-year-old female patient with suspicious skin lesion in the left lumbar region. Clinically, there was an oval, slightly asymmetrical lesion measuring 6 x 4 mm, showing multiple colors and shades of brown and black. A dermoscopic examination revealed a brown-bluish coloration in the right part of the lesion, while a fine pigment network with perifollicular halo was found in the left part of the lesion, suggesting the diagnosis of a combined nevus. Histological examination showed a poorly circumscribed proliferation of dendritic melanocytes in the superficial and deep dermis and proliferation of melanocytes in the dermoepidermal junction. A surgical excision of the tumor was performed, in order to confirm the dermoscopic findings. In conclusion, dermoscopy is useful in differentiating combined nevi from other melanocytic lesions.