Severe dysplastic with pre cancer cells???

[diane493]

At my regular exam, my dermatologist (dermatopathologist / MOHS surgeon) took off a small mole on my buttock.  I got a call from his office today saying I need more surgery because it was a severely dysplastic nevus with some pre cancerous cells.  The doctor cannot see me until next week and I'm terrified.

Is this melanoma?  What should I expect?  His nurse or whomever called, was quite short and quick to get off the phone with me.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
I can understand your concern for the dysplasia in mole.
Your dermatologist is absolutely right about the mole and further excision of the mole. Dysplastic mole is basically an atypical mole ) which is unusual benign mole that may resemble melanoma. People who have them are at increased risk of developing single or multiple melanomas.

What you must be having is cytologic atypia on biopsy. Usually, moderate to severe cytologic atypia will require further excision to make sure that the surgical margin is completely clear of the lesion. Moreover a nevus with severe dysplasia may be difficult to differentiate from melanoma and a surgical re-excision is recommended.

I recommend you to follow up with your dermatologist as advised by him and get the mole regularly evaluated.
Hope that this information helps and hope that you will get better soon. Wishing you good health.

[diane493]

Thank you for taking the time to answer, Dr. Kaur.

My dermatologist removed a large section and will see me every 3 months now for a full body check.  

[diane493]

Had surgery today to remove any residual cells. My dermatopathologist (MOHS surgeon)  said this was 'serious' but was not cancer and not melanoma but would have become melanoma at some point. He also told me the surgery he did was the very same surgery he would have done if it WERE early melanoma.  

I'll have my stitches out in 2 weeks.