title: Shave excision of common acquired melanocytic nevi: cosmetic outcome, recurrences, and complications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical treatment of benign melanocytic lesions demands the application of simple and effective surgical techniques with the possibility of performing a histopathologic examination with an acceptable cosmetic outcome. However, recurrence rates and the cosmetic result should be taken into account because the main reason for these lesions to be removed is the patient's cosmetic improvement. The present study evaluates the results obtained by shave excision of benign pigmented lesions in terms of cosmetic outcome, recurrence rates, and complications from both a subjective and an objective point of view.
  
  
  METHODS
  Shave excision of common acquired melanocytic nevi was performed. The patients were reviewed 3 months after surgery to evaluate the objective and subjective cosmetic results, recurrences, and postsurgical complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over a 12-week period, 204 common acquired melanocytic nevi were shaved. Objective evaluation revealed excellent results in one-third (32.8%) of the lesions excised, with a poor result in 8.3%. The likelihood of having an imperceptible scar was significantly greater in lesions excised from the face (p < .05). Ninety-eight percent of patients (n = 192) declared that "the scar looked better than the original mole." Clinical and dermatoscopic recurrences were observed in 40 scars (19.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An acceptable cosmetic result, along with a low rate of recurrence, should be the aim of the surgical treatment of benign melanocytic lesions. The results obtained in this series allow us to provide more detailed and accurate information regarding the outcome and complications expected.
authors.affiliation: Pigmented Lesion Clinic, Dermatology Department, University Hospital Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain. ferrandizpulido@e-derma.org
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrandiz
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moreno-Ramirez
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Camacho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome