Close observation with routine skin surveillance is a reasonable management approach for moderately dysplastic nevi with positive histologic margins, according to a recent study. However, having ≥2 biopsied dysplastic nevi (with 1 that is a moderately dysplastic nevus) appears to be associated with increased risk for subsequent cutaneous melanoma (CM) at a separate site. A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study was conducted of patients aged ≥18 years with moderately dysplastic nevi with positive histologic margins and ≥3 years of follow-up data. Records were reviewed for patient demographics, biopsy type, pathologic findings, and development of subsequent CM at the biopsy site or elsewhere on the body. Researchers found:

• A total of 467 moderately dysplastic nevi with positive histologic margins from 438 patients (193 women and 245 men; mean [SD] age, 46.7 [16.1] years) were evaluated.
• No cases developed into CM at biopsy sites, with a mean (SD) follow-up time of 6.9 (3.4) years.
• However, 100 patients (22.8%) developed a CM at a separate site.
• History of CM was significantly associated with the risk of development of subsequent CM at a separate site, as were prior biopsied dysplastic nevi.