Large congenital melanocytic nevi and the risk for the development of malignant melanoma. A prospective study.
METHODS
Patients with large congenital melanocytic nevi have been described to have an increased risk for the development of malignant melanoma (MM). Ninety-two patients with large congenital melanocytic nevi were followed up prospectively for the development of MM. Matched individuals from the general population served as control subjects.


RESULTS
Ninety-two patients (median age, 3 years) were followed up prospectively for an average of 5.4 years. In three patients (3%), MM developed in extracutaneous sites. The cumulative 5-year life-table risk for the development of MM was calculated to be 4.5% (95% confidence interval, 0% to 9.3%). In individuals in the general US population, matched for age, sex, and length of follow-up to the 92 study patients, 0.013 would be expected to develop MM. The standardized morbidity ratio (adjusted relative risk) was calculated to be 239, which was highly significant (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with large congenital melanocytic nevi are at a significantly increased risk for the development of MM and should be kept under continuous surveillance for the development of cutaneous as well as noncutaneous primary MM.
Marghoob
A A
AA
Department of Dermatology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA.
Schoenbach
S P
SP
Kopf
A W
AW
Orlow
S J
SJ
Nossa
R
R
Bart
R S
RS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery