Maybe you’ve heard that melanoma can be blue, but how often is this?
What is the answer to how common or often is a melanoma blue?
“Not common. They are rare, aggressive and often lethal,” says Richard Bezozo, MD, President of MoleSafe, the world’s most advanced melanoma screening program.
Dr. Bezozo adds, “They are also known as malignant blue nevus.”
A nevus (pronounced knee-vus) is the medical term for mole.
“These are melanomas arising in association with a blue nevus or those arising spontaneously in the skin which resemble a blue nevus,” he continues.
“If you see something new or changing on your skin, have it checked out by your dermatologist. Blue nevi tend to be large, 1-3 cm in diameter and they can be elevated or smooth.
“Typically they are greyish-blue to blueish-black. They are often solitary and can be found on your buttocks, your lower back, or your hands and feet. Still, they are very uncommon.”
A blue appearing mole isn’t necessarily a melanoma. In a benign mole of this color, the pigment cells are deeper in the skin.
“Often solitary” does not mean, however, that blue melanomas can never be clustered, as in the metastatic melanomas below.
Keep in mind that a condition such as this does not develop overnight.
- You should check the skin on your entire body on a monthly basis for anything that looks suspicious, including a new blue color to a previously brown mole.
- Get to know your moles so that if changes begin happening, you will be aware of this.
The patient pictured above obviously either failed to regularly examine their skin and thus was unaware of the changes in their skin early on, or, was aware of the ongoing development of all the blue lesions but failed to seek medical intervention.
Melanoma as it progresses eventually becomes visually alarming.
Richard Bezozo, MD
