Melanocytic nevus
Skin condition, mole / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A melanocytic nevus (also known as nevocytic nevus, nevus-cell nevus and commonly as a mole)[1][2] is usually a noncancerous condition of pigment-producing skin cells. It is a type of melanocytic tumor that contains nevus cells.[2] Some sources equate the term mole with "melanocytic nevus",[2] but there are also sources that equate the term mole with any nevus form.[3]
The majority of moles appear during the first two decades of a person's life, with about one in every 100 babies being born with moles.[4] Acquired moles are a form of benign neoplasm, while congenital moles, or congenital nevi, are considered a minor malformation or hamartoma and may be at a higher risk for melanoma.[4] A mole can be either subdermal (under the skin) or a pigmented growth on the skin, formed mostly of a type of cell known as a melanocyte. The high concentration of the body's pigmenting agent, melanin, is responsible for their dark color. Moles are a member of the family of skin lesions known as nevi, occurring commonly in humans.[3][4]