Mole
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| D22.- | Melanocyte nevus |
| L81.4 | Other melanin hyperpigmentation |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
Mole is the colloquial term for benign growths of pigment-forming cells of the skin and corresponds roughly to the technical term pigment nevus . The term birthmark is also used as a synonym for the superordinate technical term nevus .
definition
In dermatology there is no uniform definition of the colloquial terms mole, pepper spot or birthmark; birthmarks are more common in Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria .
Often the mole or pepper spot refers to a certain form of pigmented nevus , the most common types are nevus cell nevus , lentigo simplex and lentigo solaris .
The birthmark is the generic term for all types of benign skin growths without restriction of the affected cell type.
A nevus can be made up of red blood vessel cells, yellow sebum cells or other cells and does not always have to be brown in color.
meaning
Since certain types of liver spots carry the risk of developing a malignant type of cancer (so-called malignant melanoma ), it is important to determine the exact type of each pigmented skin growth (which is reserved for the dermatologist ). A so-called scan is often carried out by the dermatologist, in which the shape and color as well as other features of all birthmarks are documented by means of a camera and usually analyzed by a computer diagnosis system. In adolescents, such a scan usually needs to be repeated every three years and in adults only every five years if there are no special risk factors (such as dysplastic nevi or connatal nevi ).
For more details and an overview, see pigment nevus .
Over the course of life, the number of birthmarks on the human body increases.
ABCDE rule
A mole can be benign or malignant. The ABCDE rule helps to assess whether it is malicious . However, this can only serve as a rough initial assessment and is neither sufficient nor exclusive for a possible malignant degeneration .
| A. | = | Asymmetry (its shape is asymmetrical / uneven, that is, it is not round or oval) |
| B. | = | Boundary (its edge is irregularly limited, that is, it is fringed, fuzzy or jagged) |
| C. | = | Coloring (its color has changed; it can also have different or unusual colors such as white, blue or red) |
| D. | = | Diameter (it becomes larger, especially larger than 6 mm; however, melanomas that do not arise from a mole are often smaller) |
| E. | = | Development (it develops and changes; for example, it may bleed, ooze, itch, form scabs or crust; its size, shape, color or surface texture changes or is raised ) |
If two or more of these criteria apply, it is advisable to see a dermatologist and have skin cancer screening carried out.
etymology
The name mole is a loan translation of the medical term macula hepatica, which refers to the brownish, often liver-like color.
In contrast to the German mole, the English word liver spot refers exclusively to age spots . The English equivalent of the German mole is mole.
The word birthmark comes from the 16th century when it was believed that these skin changes were caused by unsatisfied desires of the mother during pregnancy.
See also
- Freckles
- Beauty mark
- Age spot
- Fire mark
- Mongolian spot
- Lentigo maligna can develop into malignant lentigo maligna melanoma
Web links
- Entry on melanocytic nevus (mole) in Altmeyer's encyclopedia accessed online on November 7, 2017
- Nevus network , a project founded by German-speaking dermatologists to support patients and their parents with large congenital pigment marks, so-called congenital nevi, especially so-called giant mother marks
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alphabetical directory for the ICD-10-WHO version 2019, volume 3. German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI), Cologne, 2019, p. 500
- ↑ Black skin cancer. In: Gesundheitsinformation.de. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care , August 26, 2015, accessed on October 27, 2015 .
- ^ Friedrich Kluge: Etymological dictionary of the German language. 24th edition. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2002, ISBN 3-11-017473-1 .
