A commonly used acronym for identifying the warning signs of malignant melanoma. Developed in 1985, it
considers a lesion suspicious when it has more than one of the five following features :
A = Asymmetry (if the lesion is bisected, one half is not identical to the other half)
B = Border irregularity (a border that is uneven or ragged as opposed to smooth and straight)
C = Color variegation (more than one shade of pigment)
D = Diameter increase (defined as a diameter greater than 6 mm)
A suggested addition to this list is a final E, for Elevation above the skin surface; however, since
elevation is also a feature of many benign nevi, E is often excluded.
considers a lesion suspicious when it has more than one of the five following features :
A = Asymmetry (if the lesion is bisected, one half is not identical to the other half)
B = Border irregularity (a border that is uneven or ragged as opposed to smooth and straight)
C = Color variegation (more than one shade of pigment)
D = Diameter increase (defined as a diameter greater than 6 mm)
A suggested addition to this list is a final E, for Elevation above the skin surface; however, since
elevation is also a feature of many benign nevi, E is often excluded.