atypical moles

My 21 year old daughter had two atypical moles removed this summer by shave excision.   They are now back .  Could they have come back as melonama   She is scheduled for the other excision at end of month

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

No, if they were atypical moles, they could not have come back as melanoma.  It is common for shaved moles to come back, since shaving may leave some mole cells behind.  If they do come back, it's generally a good idea to have them excised completely--as your daughter apparently plans to do--to avoid confusion later on if they're removed in the future and the pathologist might have trouble interpreting what is seen.  Once they're off, she'll be able to forget about them.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff