Tutorial Review
OK, now that you know
your ABCD's, here is a brief review: |
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ASYMMETRY
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BORDER
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COLOR
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DIAMETER
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- Asymmetry
- one half does not match the other half
- Border
Irregularity - the edges are ragged, notched or blurred
- Color
- the pigmentation is not uniformed. Shades of tan, brown, and black
are present
- Diameter
- the mole is greater across than a pencil eraser or is smaller than
that but growing.
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| Other symptoms may
include a change in the surface of a mole--scaliness, oozing, bleeding
or the appearance of a bump or nodule, spread of pigment from the border
into surrounding skin, redness or a new swelling beyond the border, change
in sensation ... itchiness, tenderness or pain. |
Here's another excellent but slightly technical resource:The Clinical Diagnosis of Early Malignant Melanoma. They advocate the extension of the ABCD rule to include:- Evolutionary change
- Funny looking lesion
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| Finally, here are some more photos of primary melanotic lesions.
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Reference:
Shedding Light On Skin Cancer The American Cancer Society
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Early stage melanomas
can be difficult even for a trained physician to detect. If you are
at all concerned, you should seek medical attention. Press continue
for some considerations in that regard. If you are no longer concerned
about your mole, here
are some guidelines on prevention that can help prevent problems in
the future.
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