title: Intradermal nevi with atypical nuclei in the elderly: The senescent nevus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Benign melanocytic nevi removed from elderly patients may demonstrate focal areas with nuclear atypia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the prevalence of these nevi and their clinical and histologic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intradermal nevi from patients older than 60 years were evaluated for areas of focal nuclear atypia and analyzed for 9 histologic characteristics. The patients' sex, biopsy sites, and clinical diagnoses were also tabulated. A statistical analysis of the 2 groups was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 197 specimens from 157 patients were found. Twenty exhibited nuclear atypia (senescent nevi) and 177 did not (benign nevi). Significant differences were found for suggested clinical diagnosis, epithelioid-appearing melanocytes, the number of mast cells, evidence of solar elastosis, the number of intranuclear pseudoinclusions, and the presence of abnormally staining connective tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is a single-site, retrospective analysis involving a modest number of specimens. In addition, only a single age group was evaluated and only intradermal nevi were examined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of focal nuclear atypia in benign melanocytic nevi in the elderly is not a rare finding. As these features are likely a result of the age of the lesion and possibly of long-standing ultraviolet light exposure, the term "senescent" nevus is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. Electronic address: alan.boyd@Vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.affiliation: Center for Quantitative Studies, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Sheau-Chiann
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center for Quantitative Studies, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shyr
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018330:Nevus, Intradermal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: ancient; atypia; elderly; intranuclear pseudoinclusions; nevus; senescent; symplastic