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Familial and cutaneous features of dysplastic nevi: a case-control study
M A Tucker1, W A Crutcher, P Hartge
1Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD 20892.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
|April 1, 1993
Summary
Individuals with dysplastic nevi have a significantly higher risk of developing more dysplastic nevi, especially if family members are also affected. This suggests a genetic predisposition and increased melanoma risk in affected families.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Dysplastic nevi are a known risk factor for melanoma, but their epidemiology is not well understood.
- Previous studies identified individuals with dysplastic nevi, providing a basis for further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the prevalence and epidemiological correlates of dysplastic nevi.
- To investigate the familial aggregation of dysplastic nevi.
Main Methods:
- Re-examination of patients originally diagnosed with dysplastic nevi and their first-degree relatives.
- Inclusion of age, sex, race, and date-stratified control subjects and their relatives.
- Full skin examinations and biopsies of suspicious nevi were performed on willing participants.
Main Results:
- Eighty percent of case kindreds were multiplex for dysplastic nevi, indicating familial clustering.
- Having one or more relatives with dysplastic nevi conferred a 7.2-fold increased risk.
- A 99-fold increased risk of dysplastic nevi was observed in individuals with over five nevi (≥4 mm) and/or scars on their back.
Conclusions:
- Family members of individuals with dysplastic nevi are likely to have dysplastic nevi themselves.
- These findings support a genetic component in the development of dysplastic nevi.
- Individuals with dysplastic nevi and their families may be at an elevated risk for melanoma.