Overview
A nevus is commonly called a mole. Moles (nevi, the plural of nevus) in which the skin cells are growing unusually are called atypical, or dysplastic, nevi. These moles may be noncancerous (benign) but may be considered one step closer to being cancerous (malignant) than a typical mole. All moles are made up of collections of the pigment-producing cells of the skin; they may be flat, raised, skin-colored, or pinker or darker than the skin. Atypical moles are characterized by having abnormal cell growth, but this is not always obvious from looking at the mole, and a doctor may have to biopsy the mole and look at a portion of it under a microscope to make this diagnosis. It is important to show all your moles (particularly those that are new or rapidly changing) to your doctor because these atypical nevi are sometimes considered an early form of cancer.
