What is a Spitz Nevus

Site: most often occurs on the face, scalp or legs of pre-adolescent children.

Onset: most common in children, but does appear in adults.

Course: They appear suddenly and, contrary to slowly evolving common moles. The lesion and its biologic course are benign.

Appearance: hairless, dome-shaped papules or nodules, usually solitary but may be multiple.

Surface: a smooth or warty surface

Size: vary in size from 0.3 to 1.5 cm.

Color: red to reddish-pink caused by increased vascularity
Complications: bleeding sometimes follows trauma.
Diagnosis: Skin biopsy reveals overall architectural order with nested spindle-shaped nevus cells (A cell of a pigmented skin mole whose absence of dendrites differentiates from a melanocyte) and areas with large pleomorphic nevus cells. Such changes would be worrisome for melanoma in an adult. Histologic differentiation from melanoma is sometimes difficult.

Treatment: should be removed for microscopic examination, complete excision to minimize the risk of recurrence and associated pleomorphism.