title: Changeable naevi in people at high risk for melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Naevi may change in size, shape and colour due to multiple inherent and external factors. We observed naevi changing size in adults at high risk of melanoma, and assessed associations of change with demographic factors, skin type, sites of naevi and history of melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 29 participants with a personal or first-degree family history of melanoma or those deemed at high risk with multiple naevi of variable morphologies had all melanocytic naevi 0.5-1 cm imaged and their maximum diameter recorded. Maximum diameters from repeat imaging of naevi 12 months later were compared to baseline measurements. Newly appearing naevi ≥5 mm and naevi that grew or decreased in size by 20% or more were defined as changeable naevi. Associations between changeable naevi and participants' age, sex, skin type, body sites of naevi and personal and family history of melanoma were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in changeable naevus rates among sex, age or skin type. Among the body sites, the head and neck were most likely to have changeable naevi, and the upper limbs the least likely. A family history of melanoma almost tripled the likelihood of having changeable naevi compared with those without both personal and family melanoma history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Naevi can continue to change in size throughout adulthood, showing both increases and decreases in size as well as the appearance of new naevi. This has important clinical implications, in particular for sequential body imaging used for the detection of melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Dermatology Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicola Cd
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Nirmala
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pandeya
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McClenahan
authors.forename: B Mark
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Smithers
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: H Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Soyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D009333:Neck; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000473:pathology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D060726:Torso; D047368:Tumor Burden
keywords: changeable; naevi