Dysplastic Nevus Terminology in Contemporary Literature: A Descriptive Content Analysis

Abstract

Background: The term dysplastic nevus (DN) remains included in current World Health Organization classification and embedded in routine diagnostic practice, despite longstanding debate regarding its diagnostic reproducibility, biological specificity, and clinical relevance. However, the extent to which these theoretical controversies are reflected in contemporary academic literature remains insufficiently quantified. Objective: This study aims to descriptively examine how dysplastic nevus terminology is operationalized in contemporary dermatology and pathology literature, determining whether the term functions as a routine diagnostic entity or as an actively contested concept. Methods: Peer-reviewed English-language publications indexed in PubMed and published between December 1, 2024, and December 20, 2025, were screened. The included publications were categorized by 2 researchers into the predefined patterns of terminology usage. Disagreements, borderline cases, and uncertain classifications were resolved through discussion, with input from the study's senior author when needed. Results: Of the 56 publications included, 46 (82.1%) used dysplastic nevus terminology. In most of these papers, the term appeared as a routine diagnostic label without any critical evaluation or conceptual questioning. Explicit critical discussion of the terminology was identified in 8 publications (14.3%), whereas conventional use was observed across all journal quartiles. Conclusions: Despite half a century of debate and recent calls for revised classification, dysplastic nevus terminology maintains its dominance in recent literature. A transition to a unified, behavior-oriented diagnostic language has not yet been fully realized, and routine use of the term may contribute to ongoing diagnostic and communicative ambiguity when its intended meaning is not explicitly clarified.