biopsy

This was my pathological diagnosis:  
Melanocytic (Dysplastic) nevus, compound, with architectural disorder and mild cytologic atypia.  The peripheral and deep margins are positive.
The microscopic description:
A melanocytic nevus of the compound type is present which demonstrates a lateral junctional component of irregular nests of melanocytes along the dermo-epidermal junction with increased numbers of solitary enlarged melanocytes as well.  There is bridging of the rete ridges with lamellar fibroplasia, telangiectasia, and a lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate.

Please comment on what I should expect on my return visit.  It is not scheduled for another month.  Also what should be my concerns for the future?

Thank you.
Mimi

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

This report is essentially normal.  You should expect your doctor to tell you this and to recommend no further treatment for this particular mole.  You need have no extra concerns as a result of having this biopsy result.

Please ask your dermatologist to corroborate this, since some pathologists use words differently.  But "mild cytologic atypia" is present in many moles that mean nothing.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[mimi52]

Positive margins mean nothing?  I have been told to expect an excision to get clean margins and make sure that nothing was missed.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Positive margins means it's not all out, but if the lesion is benign, it doesn't have to be all out.  If the biopsy took only a small piece of a much larger lesion, then the biopsy may not be representative but that doesn't seem to be the case in your case.

Dr. Rockoff