DermNet provides Google Translate, a free machine translation service. Note that this may not provide an exact translation in all languages
Home » Topics A–Z » ABCDEs of melanoma
Author: Qiuyu Jin, Medical Student, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. DermNet NZ Editor in Chief: Adjunct A/Prof Amanda Oakley, Dermatologist, Hamilton, New Zealand. Copy edited by Gus Mitchell/Maria McGivern. June 2019.
The 'ABCDEs' of melanoma refers to an acronym designed to help the public and clinicians identify features in a skin lesion that may suggest a flat or in-situ melanoma (superficial spreading melanoma, lentigo maligna melanoma, or acral lentiginous melanoma) [1]. The acronym is:
An additional letter 'F' which stands for ‘funny looking’ or ‘feels funny’, may also help in identifying a possible melanoma [2].
A is for Asymmetry. A melanocytic naevus (harmless mole) is usually symmetrical, whereas melanoma is often irregular or asymmetrical in shape.
Melanoma ABCDs
B is for Border irregularity. A melanocytic naevus has smooth and even borders, whereas a melanoma often has irregular and hard-to-define borders.
On careful inspection, the pigmented component of a flat melanocytic naevus fades out towards the edge, whereas the edges of a solar lentigo or a seborrhoeic keratosis are well defined. The edges of a melanoma tend to have both well-defined and fading segments.
B is also used for 'black', which is an uncommon colour for a melanocytic naevus in a white-skinned individual, but may be the usual colour for a dark-skinned person. The colour black can occur in seborrhoeic keratoses in all skin types.
Borders of pigmented skin lesions
C is for Colour variation. A melanocytic naevus usually has a single shade of colour or two shades of colour with one occurring inside the other or regularly repeated (generally pink, brown, or tan).
Variation in colour of melanocytic naevi
Melanoma can be brown but can have as many as five or six colours (blue, black, brown, tan, grey, pink, and red). These colours are unevenly or irregularly distributed.
Variation in colour of melanoma
D is for Diameter. Most melanomas are greater than 6 mm in diameter when they are diagnosed (this is about the size of a pencil eraser).
D is sometimes used to mean 'dark colour'.
D is also used for 'different’. Benign moles resemble each other, whereas a melanoma appears unique and very different from the patient’s other lesions.
A mole that is obviously different from the others is sometimes called an ugly duckling and must be considered suspicious even if it does not fulfil the ABCDE criteria [3,4].
Melanomas larger than 6 mm in diameter at diagnosis
E is for Evolving or changing. A melanocytic naevus is usually stable and does not change in size, shape, or colour, whereas a melanoma changes over time. Change in size, colour, shape, or structure may be noted over months to years.
An evolving melanoma
The ABCDE criteria are not very specific for melanoma, as some or all of the criteria may be displayed by another skin cancer, such as a pigmented basal cell carcinoma or pigmented squamous cell carcinoma.
Malignant melanoma mimics
A benign lesion can be asymmetrical in shape, have an irregular border, colour variation, and be larger than 6 mm in diameter. Examples include congenital melanocytic naevus, acquired melanocytic naevus, solar lentigo, or seborrhoeic keratosis.
Melanocytic naevi can also evolve in some circumstances (such as darkening after exposure to the sun, and becoming more elevated with age); seborrhoeic keratoses and solar lentigines routinely evolve over time.
Clinicians trained in dermoscopy can often correctly diagnose skin lesions, but sometimes a biopsy will be needed to confirm a diagnosis.
Benign melanoma mimics
While the ABCDE criteria has been proven to be very helpful in identifying a potential melanoma, it cannot be used to reliably recognise all melanomas. A melanoma may be symmetrical in shape, with a uniform border, without much colour variation, and it can be diagnosed when it is smaller than 6 mm in diameter.
The ABCDE criteria are particularly unhelpful in the diagnosis of some less common subtypes of melanomas such as nodular melanoma, desmoplastic melanoma, and melanoma in childhood, as these often lack the ABCDE features [5–8].
Melanomas without ABCDs
Nodular melanoma is more likely to metastasise and result in the patient’s death than a flat melanoma.
The EFGs of melanoma refer to an acronym designed to help the public and clinicians identify skin changes in a pigmented lesion typical of nodular melanoma. This acronym being:
E is for Elevated. Benign lesions can be elevated (eg, a dermal naevus, dermatofibroma, or cyst), but a new elevated or thickened lesion may be suspicious for nodular melanoma or another form of skin cancer.
F is for Firm. Benign lesions can feel firm (especially dermatofibroma), but this is also a feature of nodular melanoma.
Benign skin lesions tend to remain stable or change slowly over years to decades. They can also rapidly change in appearance over hours to days if injured, inflamed, bleeding, or affected by eczema (eg, Meyerson naevus).
Nodular melanoma tends to grow rapidly with changes noted over days to months.
Nodular melanoma with EFG characteristics
Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer and can progress quickly. It is treatable if caught early but if it is left untreated for long enough, it may spread to other parts of the body (metastatic melanoma) and this can be life-threatening.
Knowing the ABCDEs and EFGs of melanoma can help you look for early signs of melanoma when performing a regular self-skin examination.
See our video on how to perform a self-skin examination.
If you have a skin lesion with ABCDE or EFG characteristics that concerns you, see your doctor as soon as possible for assessment. You may be referred to a specialist for another opinion and surgery.
See smartphone apps to check your skin.
[Sponsored content]
© 2021 DermNet New Zealand Trust.
DermNet NZ does not provide an online consultation service. If you have any concerns with your skin or its treatment, see a dermatologist for advice.