Acral Nevus Versus Acral Melanoma

The majority of acral melanocytic nevi on the palms, soles, nail bed, and nail matrix generally do not pose diagnostic dilemmas. However, a number of lesions show overlapping architectural and cytological features with acral melanoma. Besides histopathologic features, the combination of clinical context of patients’ age, diameter of lesion, and dermoscopic findings should help differentiate between acral nevus and acral melanoma. Since prognosis of acral melanoma is generally poor primarily due to delayed detection leading to advanced stage of disease, accurate early diagnosis is essential in the management of these patients.