Benign Compound Nevus

A 17-year-old girl had a “mole” on the chin since childhood. The ovoid lesion had grown slightly over the previous few years, but it had maintained the same general configuration. A prominent duality of pigmentation, with the center being darker than the periphery, was noted. Ted Rosen, MD, of Houston performed a shave biopsy (horizontal excision). Histologic examination revealed a benign compound nevus with neither architectural disorder nor cytologic atypia. This “targetoid” pattern is typically associated with benign moles. Nonetheless, biopsy or removal should be considered, particularly when the size or the shape of the lesion has changed.