Predominant dermoscopic patterns observed among nevi

It has been clinically observed that patients' "normal" moles resemble each other. Whether this concept is applicable to dermoscopic practice has not been sufficiently studied.

To investigate whether physicians evaluating dermoscopic images would identify common dermoscopic profiles of nevi within individual patients.

Images of 205 nevi belonging to 18 patients were evaluated by 2 dermatologists for dermoscopic global pattern, color, and specific structures. We defined dermoscopic patterns as dominant if seen in >or= 40% of the patient's nevi; a minor pattern was defined as 20 to 39%.

A dominant pattern was seen in 15 patients (83%). In 13 (72%) of the patients, >or= 80% of the nevi were classified into one, two, or three global patterns. The reticular global pattern was the most prevalent dominant pattern, seen in 9 patients (50%); the homogeneous pattern was the most prevalent minor pattern, seen in 16 patients (89%).

Individuals tend to have one to three predominant dermoscopic nevus global patterns.