Mole, freckles, liver spots

Medical terms

Melanocytic naevus, lentigines, ephelis, solar lentigo

Common terms

Mole, freckles, liver spots

Overview

Moles are a small, sometimes raised area of skin, usually with darker pigment. Melanin is responsible for the darker colour. You should not pick at a mole or attempt to remove it. A naevus means nest referring to the group of melanocytes which are positioned together as a group.

The concern with moles is that they may have changed into a melanoma which is a skin cancer of the melanocytes and can be potentially fatal.

Symptoms and signs

Moles can range in size, shape and colour. There are a number of other lesions that can look like moles. An accurate diagnosis can be provided by a Dermatologist to ensure the mole is not dangerous. Benign moles which are rasied may catch on clothing or become irritated and this may be an indication for removal.

Treatment

Prevention is the best cure.  A full skin assessment for the detection of abnormal moles should be undertaken on a regular basis by a Dermatologist if you have risk factors for melanoma such as a family history, a large number of moles, large and irregular moles, fair skin and excessive sun exposure. Dermatologists have advanced training and experience to detect the clinical signs of moles which may have developed into a melanoma or look suspicious.  At present there is no system better than the expertly trained human eye at clinically diagnosing melanoma.

Moles that look suspicious or malignant should be removed for pathological examination.

Once your skin has been assessed, the Dermatologist will then tell you of the most appropriate skin surveillance follow-up programme tailored to your skin type and clinical risk.  Sun protection and avoidance advice will be given as well as discussing the role of sunblocks.

A medical photographic service can be used to photograph moles as a baseline to allow comparison in the future if you think one of your moles has changed.