Moles Health Article

ORGANIZATIONS

American Academy of Dermatology. 930 N. Meacham Road, P.O. Box 4014, Schaumburg, IL 60168-4014. (847) 330-0230. <http://www.aad.org>.

Nevus Outreach, Inc. 1601 Madison Blvd., Bartesville, OK 74006. (877) 426-3887. <http://www.nevus.org>.

OTHER

"Atypical Moles." The Skin Site. 8 Apr. 1998 <http://www.skinsite.com/info_atypicalmoles.htm>.

"Moles." American Academy of Dermatology. 7 Apr. 1998 <http://www.aad.org>.

"Moles." The Skin Site. 8 Apr. 1998 <http://www.skinsite.com/info_moles.htm>.

Maureen Haggerty

KEY TERMS

Malignant melanoma—Most moles are benign, but atypical moles (called dysplastic nevi) may develop into malignant melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer. Atypical moles are usually hereditary. Most are bigger than a pencil eraser, and the shape and pigmentation are irregular.