Blue Nevi and Related Tumors

Abstract

Blue nevi and related lesions are characterized by the proliferation of dermal dendritic melanocytes. Although they share certain common clinical and histologic features, they encompass a spectrum of lesions ranging from benign melanocytic hamartomas and common blue nevi to borderline malignant pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma and aggressive malignant blue nevi. This article succinctly describes the common dermal dendritic proliferations and updates readers on newly classified entities and variants. The differential diagnosis of the main entities and strategies to distinguish them from their melanocytic and nonmelanocytic mimics is also presented.

Keywords: Blue nevus; Cellular blue nevus; Malignant blue nevus; Melanocytic hamartomas; Pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma.