Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 1 , Pages 61-64, February 2010

Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevi in Neonates: Report of Two Cases

  • Jen-Chung Chien

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Lo-Tung Pohai Hospital, Ilan, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Dau-Ming Niu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201 Shipai Road, Section 2, Beitou, Taipei 112, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Mao-Shan Wang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Plastic Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Ming-Tzen Liu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Jiing-Feng Lirng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Shu-Jen Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Betau Hwang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 2 February 2009; received in revised form 4 April 2009; accepted 27 May 2009.

7Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxiao Branch, Taipei, Taiwan

Article Outline

Giant congenital melanocytic nevi are rare, with an estimated incidence of approximately 1 in 20,000 live births. They increase the lifetime risk for malignant melanoma and neurological deficits, including leptomeningeal melanocytosis and epilepsy. Recently, we encountered two patients in whom giant congenital melanocytic nevi were noted at birth. Case 1 presented with the largest nevus spreading across the posterior scalp, neck, chest wall, shoulder and upper back. At the age of 2 months, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed and no leptomeningeal melanocytosis was found. Case 2 presented with a huge nevus covering most parts of the lower abdomen, lower back, buttocks and bilateral upper thighs. She also had normal MRI findings in the newborn period. At the age of 7 years, leptomeningeal thickening on the surface of the junction between the pons and midbrain was found on brain MRI although she was neurologically asymptomatic. Here, we describe these two cases with congenital melanocytic nevi and review the literature about its clinical manifestations, outcomes, risks for malignant melanoma and neurocutaneous melanosis, and possible surgical interventions.

Key Words:  giant congenital , melanocytic nevi , malignant melanoma , neurocutaneous melanosis

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PII: S1875-9572(10)60012-5

doi:10.1016/S1875-9572(10)60012-5

Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 1 , Pages 61-64, February 2010