Dispelling the myth of the “benign hair sign” for melanoma Alon Scope, MDa, Michela Tabanelli, MDc, Klaus J. Busam, MDb, Harold Rabinovitz, MDd, Ralph P. Braun, MDe, Ashfaq A. Marghoob, MDa New York, New York; Bologna, Italy; Plantation, Florida; and Geneva, Switzerland The vast majority of melanocytic lesions with hair, such as congenital melanocytic nevi, are benign. However, there is a notion that the presence of one or more hairs in a melanocytic lesion is confirmatory for the benign nature of the lesion. To dispel this notion, we present 3 examples of melanocytic lesions that showed terminal hairs on clinical and dermoscopic evaluation, but in which the final diagnosis was invasive melanoma. Thus, integrating all clinical and dermoscopic findings, rather than relying on a single criterion for the lesion at hand should guide clinicians to the correct diagnosis. a From the Departments of Dermatology b Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York c Department of Dermatology, University of Bologna d Skin and Cancer Associates, Plantation e Department of Dermatology, University Hospital J Amer Acad of Dermatology Volume 56, Issue 3, Pages 413-416 (March 2007) Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.