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Pigmented nevi, if excised incompletely, often recur and occasionally cause concern to the patient and the physician. In this study of 175 recurrent nevi from 173 patients, the clinical, gross, and microscopic features of recurrent nevi are described and criteria for diagnosis are developed. Rarely, recurrent nevi have atypical features that suggest malignant melanoma. The differential diagnosis entails clinical and histologic criteria that are presented.

Monsel's solution produces artifacts which can be troublesome if rebiopsy of a lesion is necessary. The tattoo produced can distort or obscure the basic pathologic process. It may lead an unwary pathologist into the false interpretation of the depth of a melanoma. Pathologists should recognize the artifact and we describe its characteristics. The use of Monsel's solution for hemostasis should be discouraged following biopsies of pigmented lesions or tumors which may prove to be diagnostic problems. The pathologist should be informed if Monsel's solution has been used.