skip to main content

Recurrent Naevus — SCE Dermatology MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardSkin CancerRecurrent NaevusSCE Dermatology

A 35-year-old woman has a melanocytic naevus on her back that she wants removed for cosmetic reasons. She is informed that after excision and suturing, she develops a pigmented streak along the scar line 6 months later. Dermoscopy shows pigmented globules along the scar. This was biopsied and shows benign melanocytic proliferation at the scar margin. What is this?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Recurrent naevus phenomenon arising within the previous excision scar

The best answer is “Recurrent naevus phenomenon arising within the previous excision scar”. NICE bases melanoma diagnosis, excision margins and nodal assessment on complete histology, Breslow thickness, ulceration and clinical stage, with specialist review of suspicious or changing lesions. The alternatives “Melanoma arising de novo within the previous excision scar”, “Pigmented basal-cell carcinoma developing at the excision site”, “Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation without a melanocytic proliferation, after clinicopathological correlation”, “A new solar lentigo developing independently beside the scar” are clinically adjacent possibilities, but they do not fit the defining morphology, distribution, histopathology, risk signal or management sequence in this stem.

Reference: NICE NG14 melanoma recommendations: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng14/chapter/Recommendations