Blue nevus

Blue nevus
Blue nevus
Other names	Blue neuronevus, dermal melanocytoma, nevus coeruleus, nevus bleu
	Blue nevus
Specialty	Dermatology
Symptoms	Single well-defined blue-black bump
Complications	Rarely malignant transformation
Types	Dendritic, cellular
Causes	Unclear
Diagnostic method	Visualisation, dermoscopy
Differential diagnosis	Dermatofibroma, melanoma
Treatment	Monitoring, excision
Prognosis	Good
Frequency	Female>male

A blue nevus is a type of coloured mole, typically a single well-defined blue-black bump.

The blue colour is caused by the pigment being deep in the skin.

Diagnosis is by visualisation and dermoscopy. A biopsy is sometimes performed, or the whole lesion surgically removed. The outcome is generally good but there is a small chance of cancerous transformation. Differential diagnosis includes dermatofibroma and melanoma.

Blue nevi are more common in females than males. It was first studied in 1906 by Tièche, a student of Josef Jadassohn.

Classification

Blue nevi may be divided into the following types:^: 701

A patch blue nevus (also known as an "acquired dermal melanocytosis", and "dermal melanocyte hamartoma") is a cutaneous condition characterized by a diffusely gray-blue area that may have superimposed darker macules.
A blue nevus of Jadassohn–Tièche (also known as a "common blue nevus", and "nevus ceruleus") is a cutaneous condition characterized by a steel-blue papule or nodule.^: 701
A cellular blue nevus is a cutaneous condition characterized by large, firm, blue or blue-black nodules.^: 701
An epithelioid blue nevus is a cutaneous condition most commonly seen in patients with the Carney complex.^: 701
A deep penetrating nevus is a type of benign melanocytic skin tumor characterized, as its name suggests, by penetration into the deep dermis and/or subcutis. Smudged chromatic is a typical finding. In some cases mitotic figures or atypical melanocytic cytology are seen, potentially mimicking a melanoma. Evaluation by an expert skin pathologist is advisable in some cases to help differentiate from invasive melanoma.^: 701
An amelanotic blue nevus (also known as a "hypomelanotic blue nevus") is a cutaneous condition characterized by mild atypia and pleomorphism.^: 701
A malignant blue nevus is a cutaneous condition characterized by a sheet-like growth pattern, mitoses, necrosis, and cellular atypia.^: 701

Micrograph of a blue nevus showing the characteristic pigmented melanocytes between bundles of collagen. H&E stain
Blue nevus
Cellular blue nevus
Epithelioid blue nevus
Malignant blue nevus

References

1 2 3 4 Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. p. 1722. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
1 2 3 4 5 Johnstone, Ronald B. (2017). "32. Lentigines and melanomas". Weedon's Skin Pathology Essentials (2nd ed.). Elsevier. p. 545. ISBN 978-0-7020-6830-0.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Austad, Steve S.; Athalye, Leela (2021). "Blue Nevus". StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. PMID 31747181.
1 2 3 "Blue naevus". dermnetnz.org. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
↑ Blue+Nevi at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
↑ Sreeremya, S. (17 April 2018). "Blue Nevus". International Journal of Molecular Biotechnology. 4 (1): 1–4. doi:10.37628/ijmb.v4i1.255 (inactive 11 July 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 James, William D.; Berger, Timothy G.; et al. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.

External links

[Bolognia-1] 1 2 3 4 Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. p. 1722. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.

[Weedon2017.32-2] 1 2 3 4 5 Johnstone, Ronald B. (2017). "32. Lentigines and melanomas". Weedon's Skin Pathology Essentials (2nd ed.). Elsevier. p. 545. ISBN 978-0-7020-6830-0.

[Austad2021-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Austad, Steve S.; Athalye, Leela (2021). "Blue Nevus". StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. PMID 31747181.

[Dermnetz-4] 1 2 3 "Blue naevus". dermnetnz.org. Retrieved 21 October 2021.

[5] Blue+Nevi at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

[Sreeremya2018-6] Sreeremya, S. (17 April 2018). "Blue Nevus". International Journal of Molecular Biotechnology. 4 (1): 1–4. doi:10.37628/ijmb.v4i1.255 (inactive 11 July 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)

[ANDREWS2006-7] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 James, William D.; Berger, Timothy G.; et al. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.

Blue nevus

Classification

See also

References

External links