What Does A Mole With Red Edges And Grey Scaly Top Indicate?

Posted on Fri, 4 Apr 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 4 Apr 2014 Answered on

Thu, 24 Apr 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Last Friday, I found the this thing on my back totally by accident. Obviously it's in a place I cant see so I have no idea if it's always been there or recently popped up. No itching, no bleeding, but it is raised some with reddness around the edge and a gray scaly top.. It looks bigger than it is because of how close the photo is. It's only 2, maybe 3 mm across. I have other moles over my body, but most if not all others are not raised. Anyway, went to the see Dermatology Monday. I'll tell you what he thought after your answer. Few questions: 1. I think he used a dermascope to take a really close look. I know the biopsy is ultimately what matters, but would the dermascope give him the confidence in what he did or did not see? 2. What would give it the mole that grayish, scaly appearance on top?

Answered by Dr. Souvik Adhikari (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Mole Detailed Answer: Hello XXXX, Based on the picture which you have taken, this mole appears as a suspicious one. You can see other moles in the picture but these are all flattened. According to the suspicious criteria ABCDE, this mole is asymmetric, borders seem okay, color is abnormal and variegated, cannot comment on the diameter and is definitely elevated. Therefore, I would categorize this as risky and would recommend an excisional biopsy as early as possible. Answers to your questions: 1. Yes, the dermascope is actually great in "seeing" underneath the moles. Many moles which we categorize as suspicious by our naked eyes can be categorized as benign by the dermascope and therefore do not need surgical excision. However, this process is not full proof and therefore I would say that lesions which seem obviously suspicious should be removed to ensure mental peace. 2. Color changes occur in black or brown moles throughout their lifetime and many of these changes are benign. However, many color changes are due to the cellular changes in the underlying melanocytes and this might be risky. Scaly gray color occurs in many benign moles but again it is better to err and take out a mole with such a color change to ensure mental peace! Hope my answer helps. Have a great day!! Dr. Souvik Adhikari Plastic Sugeon

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Souvik Adhikari (6 minutes later)

Thank you so much.... SO here's what the doc said. He looked at it and thinks it's a dysplastic nevus. He removed it and sent it off to be biopsied. I asked him again did he feel confident it was not melanoma, and he said yes and not to lose sleep over it and that we see many of these. He did use a dermascope. I know the biopsy will ultimately tell the story. My question is, based on him seeing it through the dermascope and what he said above, are you more confident that it's likely not a melanaoma?

Answered by Dr. Souvik Adhikari (9 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Mole Detailed Answer: Hello XXXX, If you ask me, I would agree with him completely: this is in fact a dysplastic nevus. This is not melanoma. However, dysplastic cells can obviously turn into a melanoma therefore you did the right thing by getting this removed. Obviuosly, biopsy is the final answer as nobody can guess what the microscopic findings would be but in 99 cases out of 100 this would not be a melanoma therefore do not lose sleep over it! Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T