Signs Of Skin Cancer

Large 'birthmarks' or 'congenital nevomelanocytic nevus' (CNN), known commonly as the congenital hairy nevus, denotes a pigmented skin lesion present at birth and are a risk factor for developing a melanoma. Based on diameter, CNN are characterized as small (< 1.5 cm), medium (1.5-19.5 cm), and large or giant (>20 cm in adolescents and adults or predicted to reach 20 cm by adulthood). For small CNN, risk rates have been reported between 0.8% and 4.9% up to ~50% for giant CNN. A study of the Dutch nationwide pathology database reported an incidence rate of 12.2% of developing melanoma in patients with any sized CNN. Malignancy should be suspected with focal growth, pain, bleeding, ulceration, significant pigmentary change, or pruritus. Large 'birthmarks' or 'congenital nevomelanocytic nevus' (CNN), known commonly as the congenital hairy nevus, denotes a pigmented skin lesion present at birth and are a risk factor for developing a melanoma. Based on diameter, CNN are characterized as small (< 1.5 cm), medium (1.5-19.5 cm), and large or giant (>20 cm in adolescents and adults or predicted to reach 20 cm by adulthood). For small CNN, risk rates have been reported between 0.8% and 4.9% up to ~50% for giant CNN. A study of the Dutch nationwide pathology database reported an incidence rate of 12.2% of developing melanoma in patients with any sized CNN. Malignancy should be suspected with focal growth, pain, bleeding, ulceration, significant pigmentary change, or pruritus.