The risk of cutaneous melanoma in melanocytic nevi.

The data on melanoma associaed with melanocytic nevus are controversial. A longitudinal prospective study of 107 cases of cutaneous melanoma revealed that 9 (8.4%) cases were presumed to be linked to a precursor lesion, but only in 1 (0.9%) out of these cases the histopathological examination showed an associated melanocytic nevus. The vague information of a preexisting lesion of cutaneous melanoma is not sufficient to consider it a tumour precursor and it requires histopathological evidence to confirm the diagnosis.