Abstract
Nevus spilus (NS) is usually the term given to a pigmented skin lesion, either congenital or acquired, consisting of a large light tan patch, containing macules or papules. Usually, these superimposed lesions are numerous, small circumscribed, dark brown in color, flat or slightly raised. Nevus spilus can be seen anywhere on the body surface, but the most common location is on the chest and upper limbs. NS was first described by Burkley in 1842 as evenly pigmented patches and Ito and Hamado in 1952 were the first to apply the term NS to speckled lesions. For a long time, NS was believed to be a benign lesion. However, more than one case of melanoma arising in NS has been published. As a rule, NS is not considered a precursor of melanoma, but to this day, despite the wide range of publications, it is still necessary to clarify the relationship between NS and melanoma, in terms of the risk factors of turning malignant. We will describe the clinical features, the evolution and the management of NS, in view also of the recent genetic findings.
Citation
Corradin MT, Cacitti V, Giulioni E, Patriarca MM and Vettorello A. Nevus Spilus: A Review of the Literature. SM Dermatolog J. 2015; 1(1): 1003.