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The present study firstly aimed at understanding the relationship between sun exposure, pigmentary traits and the history of sunburns. Secondly, the significance of UV-exposure for cutaneous melanoma and for melanocytic naevi was investigated. The case-controlled study comprised 513 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma and 498 controls matched by age and gender. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to study melanoma risk factors. The number of common melanocytic naevi was associated with age, gender, the history of sunburns and UV-exposure during holidays (odds-ratio = 1.9; 95% confidence interval = [1.1, 3.4]) for 3 weeks or more. The number of atypical melanocytic naevi was significantly related to age, gender, pigmentary traits, the history of sunburns and UV-exposure during holidays (odds-ratio = 3.5; 95% confidence interval = [1.4, 9.0]) for 2 months or more. The results of the present study showed that both the history of sunburn and intensive sun exposure during holidays were important for the development of melanocytic naevi and, therefore, indirectly for cutaneous melanoma. In addition, a particular type of pigmentation was found to be related to atypical melanocytic naevi.

Several case-control studies identified common and atypical melanocytic nevi as major risk indicators for the development of cutaneous melanoma. The present investigation was planned to detect factors associated with the prevalence of these melanoma risk markers. Whole-body examination findings and interview data of 513 melanoma patients and 498 age- and sex-matched control subjects were analyzed. Existence of more than 50 common melanocytic nevi and the presence of atypical melanocytic nevi were significantly related to age and gender, with significantly elevated relative risk for their prevalence before the age of 60 and in males. Additionally, sunburns before the age of 20 were significantly associated with both more than 50 common melanocytic nevi (relative risk = 1.7) and the presence of atypical melanocytic nevi (relative risk = 1.5). Actinic lentigines were found more frequently with increasing age, and the presence of actinic lentigines was significantly related to a tendency of freckling in adolescence (relative risk = 2.0) and to two or more sunburns after the age of 20 (relative risk = 1.6). In conclusion, sunburns before the age of 20 contribute to the development of multiple melanocytic nevi and atypical melanocytic nevi. In adulthood, this type of sun exposure is associated with the development of actinic lentigines. The relative risk of developing cutaneous melanoma increases in association with the development of these benign melanocytic lesions.

We describe 9 patients who presented Becker's nevus (BN) together with a malignant melanoma (MM). Eight patients were male. In 5 patients the MM was on the same body site as the BN. The melanoma was of the superficial-spreading type in 7 cases and in 1 patient was within the BN. Twice a dysplastic-nevus syndrome was diagnosed and in 2 patients a familial melanoma. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of the co-occurrence of BN and MM.

The authors describe 4 patients with Becker's nevus (BN) in two families. Another 4 patients of the german literature are also presented. Together with the first two published cases of BN, familial BN is now known in 10 patients. All three clinical types of BN could be noticed.

The study presented here is based on the clinicopathological and electron microscopical analysis of 39 patients with Becker's nevus (BN). The clinical picture is variable and we therefore suggest the following three types be distinguished: (1) the melanotic type, (2) the hypertrichotic type, and (3) the mixed type. In BN the sensitivity reaction was often diminished. Among the skin eruptions other than BN, we would like to stress that 12% of our patients showed a malignant melanoma. Histopathology concerns both epidermal and dermal structures. The electron microscopic findings corresponded well with those by light microscopy. As far as we know, the changes in collagen fibrils are demonstrated for the first time in this study.