Colors in atypical nevi: a computer description reproducing clinical assessment

Background/purpose: Atypical nevi (AN) share some dermoscopic features with early melanoma (MM), and computer elaboration of digital images could represent a useful support to diagnosis to assess automatically colors in AN, and to compare the data with those referring to clearly benign nevi (BN) and MMs. Methods: An image analysis program enabling the numerical description of color areas in melanocytic lesions was used on 459 videomicroscopic images, referring to 76 AN, 288 clearly BN and 95 MMs. Results: Black, white and blue-gray were more frequently found in AN than in clearly BN, but less frequently than in MMs. Color area values significantly differed between the three groups. Conclusion: The clinical-morphological interpretation of the numerical data, based on the mathematical description of the aspect and distribution of different color areas in different lesion types may contribute to the characterization of AN and their distinction from MMs.