A name should convey the etiology, morphology, or biology of the disease entity in question.
In 1978, Clark et al1 described a melanoma-prone family with many nevi. The nevi in these family members were variable in size, shape, and color, and many of the nevi had relatively large diameters. In addition, the family members with such nevi were at increased risk of developing melanoma. To help differentiate these nevi from others, Clark et al1 coined the term B-K mole, which later became known as dysplastic nevus (DN).2 Although Clark et al1 did not consider DNs to be obligate precursors to melanoma, they hypothesized that DNs may represent an intermediate-stage lesion with a higher propensity for progression toward melanoma.
