title: Oral compound nevus.
abstract: The melanocytic nevus is a benign and focal proliferation of nevus cells that can be congenital or acquired. Intraoral lesions are uncommon, and the etiology and pathogenesis are poorly understood. The occurrence rate of oral compound nevus is about 5.9% to 16.5% of all oral melanocytic nevi. A 22-year-old male patient presented with a dark brown macule on the buccal mucosa of the maxilla in the region of tooth 26. The lesion was elliptical, 0.7 x 0.5 cm, well circumscribed, asymptomatic, and the evolution time was unknown. An excisional biopsy was performed and microscopic analysis revealed nests of nevus cells in the epithelium and underlying connective tissue that were compatible with melanocytic compound nevus. Owing to the clinical similarity between oral melanocytic nevus and oral melanoma, a histopathological analysis is mandatory for definitive diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Bauru Dental School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lyzete Berriel
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consalaro
authors.forename: Paulo Sérgio
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: da Silva Santos
authors.forename: Marcelo Bonifácio
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: da Silva Sampieri
authors.forename: José Endrigo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Tinoco-Araújo
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult