title: Dysplastic nevi. Occurrence in first- and second-degree relatives of patients with 'sporadic' dysplastic nevus syndrome.
abstract: In this study a cross-sectional survey was undertaken among 156 living family members of 31 probands originally classified as having sporadic (histologically verified) dysplastic nevus syndrome (DNS). Seven (13.2%) of 53 parents had clinically recognizable DNS. Twenty-six (36.1%) of the 72 sibs showed dysplastic nevi. The diagnosis of DNS in family members was based on mainly clinical examination; in eight family members--those with only mild manifestation of DNS--a nevus was removed for histologic confirmation. After correction for pedigree size, we found that 60% of patients with "type A sporadic" DNS actually had one or more relatives with a DNS phenotype. Only 25% (8/30) of the probands were ultimately true sporadic cases without a DNS-affected first- or second-degree relative. In 15% (5/31) of the probands no conclusions concerning the type of DNS could be made because the pedigree size did not allow such a conclusion. We also found a higher prevalence of dysplastic nevi among the younger generation as compared with the older generation in our probands with DNS and their families as well as in a general population study of 400 individuals. This generation-dependent difference in expression of the DNS phenotype suggests that besides a genetic factor, other factors may play a role in the development of the characteristic phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Crijns
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vink
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Van Hees
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Vermeer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004416:Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors