The COMPOUND NEVUS is a developing MELANOCYTIC NEVUS with a higher grade of cell maturation. Part of the proliferating cell clusters are still located close to the JUNCTION LINE, which sepatates the EPIDERMIS from the underlying soft-tissue layers of the skin. Other parts of the proliferating cells have undergone a more pronounced maturation, subsequentially changing their cell shape aspects, which gives them the appearance of cell bands resembling nerve cells. They look "neuroid", as the term says, and they are arranged towards deeper soft-tissue layers of the skin.

Since the mircoscopic aspect is COMPOSED of these two cell populations, the term COMPOUND NEVUS had been adopted. Therefore, a COMPOUND NEVUS presents features of both, a JUNCTIONAL NEVUS, and a DERMAL NEVUS.

COMPOUND NEVI can be any shape and any size, and are always palpable with closed eyes. Usually, they have an oval shape, showing a light-brown to dark-brown color tint, and don't change their aspects over time substantially. They may be configured irregularly to their border contours and color tint distribution within the lesion, and thus may raise concerns about their true nature. They may mimick a melanoma (left image; NO MELANOMA), if criteria of the ABCD rule apply. In these instances, it is recommended to let a dermatologist check these lesions thoroughly with the help of additional investigative procedures (epiluminescence microscopy, dermatoscopy, dermoscopy). If in doubt, the lesion should be removed by excisional biopsy and histologically clarified.