Mole Checks and Skin Lesion Assessment in Dubai
Most moles are harmless, and the point of a check is to find the few that are not, early, when treatment is simple. A specialist dermatologist examines the skin with a dermatoscope, a magnifying light that shows the structure under the surface, and tells you which moles can be left, which should be watched and which should be removed and examined. At Smart Care Polyclinic in Deira the check takes one consultation.
For: new, changing or unusual moles; anyone with many moles or a family history
Takes: a 20-30 minute consultation, full skin check on request
Price: consultation AED 125
What it is
The ABCDE signs are what to look for at home. Asymmetry, an irregular Border, more than one Colour, a Diameter over about six millimetres, and — the sign added to the original list in 2004 — Evolving: a mole that is changing in size, shape, colour or symptoms.1 A mole that itches, bleeds or simply looks different from all your others is worth showing to a dermatologist even if it fits none of the letters.
Sun exposure is the main preventable cause of skin cancer, and Dubai has a great deal of it. Fair skin, many moles, a history of sunburn and a family history all raise the risk, but skin cancer occurs in every skin type, and in darker skin it is more often found late on the palms, soles and under nails.
A dermatoscope changes what the dermatologist can see. It shows the pattern of pigment and blood vessels beneath the surface, so a lesion that looks ambiguous to the eye can usually be classified as benign, needing review, or needing removal. Where there is doubt, the lesion is removed and sent for histology, which is the only test that gives a definite answer; that is arranged as minor surgery here or by referral depending on the site and size.
What else the check finds
Seborrhoeic keratoses, the waxy, stuck-on brown patches that multiply with age and are harmless. Solar keratoses, rough scaly patches on sun-exposed skin that are pre-cancerous and are treated. Basal cell carcinomas, the commonest skin cancer, which appear as a pearly bump or a sore that does not heal, grow slowly and are cured by removal. Naming what a spot is, and what it is not, is most of the value of the visit.
How often to be checked
Once a year suits most people with many moles or a history of sunburn; more often with a personal or family history of melanoma. Between checks, a monthly look in the mirror for anything new or changing, with photographs of anything you are unsure about so change can be judged rather than guessed.
The consultation, and what follows from it
Dermatology consultation
Assessment, examination and a plan with every cost stated before anything further is done.
AED 125
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Questions patients ask
Small lesions on suitable sites can often be removed under local anaesthetic at a follow-up appointment, and are always sent for examination. Larger lesions or those on the face may be referred to a surgeon. The dermatologist will say which at the consultation.
New moles are normal into the thirties. A new mole after forty, or any mole that is changing, itching, bleeding or looks different from your others, is a reason for a check. Most turn out to be harmless, and the check is what tells you.
No. It is a visual examination with a hand-held magnifying light. Removal, if needed, is done under local anaesthetic at a separate visit.
This guide is general information about a condition, not a diagnosis. Skin conditions overlap, and what looks like one thing is often another; the dermatologist's examination is what decides your treatment.
References
- Abbasi NR, Shaw HM, Rigel DS, et al.. Early diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma: revisiting the ABCD criteria. JAMA. 2004;292(22):2771-2776. PMID 15585738. doi:10.1001/jama.292.22.2771The ABCD criteria for inspecting pigmented lesions should be expanded to ABCDE, adding 'evolving' — change in size, shape, colour or symptoms.
Sources are listed for the specific statements they support. They are published research and guidance, not a substitute for a consultation — what applies to you is decided by a doctor who has assessed you.