Question: Hello Dr. Kumar! I was wondering if you can help me with some (mostly neurotic) questions pertaining to some dysplastic nevi which I was recently diagnosed with. I'm currently suffering from health anxiety and tend to make the mistake of googling these health conditions as well. My dermatologist recently removed three nevi at my request, primarily for cosmetic reasons but also because I didn't want to obsess over them changing anymore. She did shave biopsies, one came back as mild dysplasia and the other two as mild/moderate dysplasia. She indicated that no further treatment is needed. Last year, I had two other larger moles removed which were biopsied and normal, and I had about five larger (but no bigger than a pencil eraser) removed by my primary care doctor seventeen years ago (a dermatologist had actually clinically diagnosed them as normal a year prior to that). Unfortunately, he had used electrodessication and currettage without biopsies after saying they were normal clinically (not sure if they were moles anyways, possibly seborrheic keratosis?); all that are left now, seventeen years later, are flat white hypopigmented areas and no reoccurrence of pigment or other changes has taken place where they were removed ( I would think if they had been dangerous I would have seen major changes by now and perhaps wouldn't even be here). Given the above, that is a total of about ten larger -sized moles which I've had; any other pigmented spots which I have are sun spots, freckles, etc.

There is no history of diagnosed melanoma in my family -- my father did have some strange pigmented lesions on his back, but I know for a fact that he had them for over twenty years (he would't go to a dermatologist) and he died from cardiac arrest -- I'm thinking that perhaps they were seborrheic keratosis, which I understand can resemble melanoma. I am vigilant about having professional skin cancer screenings done, and as a matter of fact just had a free one which a local cancer hospital sponsored...all was fine.



Based upon all of that information, do you feel that there is any need for me to be concerned about FAMMM?



I also see that there is an atypical mole syndrome which increases your chance of melanoma. So far I've only had ten larger moles (about the size of pencil erasers), all of which have been removed-- two were normal on biopsy, three mildly dysplastic, and the five removed by my primary care doctor 17 years ago were not biopsied. Other than that I have about 35 other smaller freckles/moles (I'm not sure how to distinguish them), the largest of which look like the ones in the attached image of my arm. Is it safe to say that I don't appear to have atypical mole syndrome (I understand that usually has HUNDREDS of moles)?

I'm attaching an image of my back; you may see some hypopigmented areas from where my doctor removed lesions seventeen years ago and red spots, which are areas which my dermatologist just treated with cryosurgery and some with electrocautery. The second image is of my upper arm, just to show you the other types of freckles and sunspots which i have in other locations.

Thank you so much for your help and any reassurances which you can provide!!

Hi Dr. Kumar! I cannot thank you enough for your kind and reassuring answer!!

One last question...so based upon the information regarding the number of moles which I've had and currently have and the images, is it safe to say that I do not have atypical mole syndrome?

Thanks again immensely for being so very kind and answering my very neurotic questions (I'm currently switching up my antianxiety medication and seeing a therapist as well to help me conquer this health anxiety!).