What should you know about cherry angioma melanoma?

Cherry angiomas are small collections of surface blood vessels. They are often round and red to purplish, and may be flat or slightly raised. Melanoma arises from pigment-producing cells and may show uneven colour, an irregular border, asymmetry, or ongoing evolution. Colour overlap can occur, so a darker spot cannot be classified reliably from a photograph or from colour alone.

Compare the spot with older photographs and record when you first noticed a change. Do not scrape or squeeze it to see whether the colour comes off. A dermatologist can examine the lesion with magnification and decide whether observation, a biopsy, or removal is appropriate. If a confirmed cherry angioma is unwanted, options may include Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment or Electrosurgery.

Book a skin assessment when a lesion is becoming larger, darker, more irregular, or different from your other spots. Arrange prompt review for spontaneous bleeding, repeated crusting, a new persistent sore, or a rapidly evolving mark. These signs do not prove melanoma; they are reasons for examination.

Ask what features make the lesion look vascular or pigmented, whether it needs dermoscopic examination, and what change should be monitored. If sampling is recommended, ask how the procedure will be performed and how the result will guide the next step.