| Birthmark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mongolian spot visible on six-month-old baby | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
Abirthmark is acongenital,benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth—usually in the first month. Birthmarks can occur anywhere on the skin.[1] They are caused by overgrowth ofblood vessels,melanocytes,smooth muscle,fat,fibroblasts, orkeratinocytes.
Dermatologists divide birthmarks into two types: pigmented birthmarks and vascular birthmarks. Pigmented birthmarks caused by excessskin pigment cells include:moles,café au lait spots, andMongolian spots. Vascular birthmarks, also called red birthmarks, are caused by increased blood vessels and includemacular stains (salmon patches),hemangiomas, andport-wine stains. A little over 1 in 10 babies have avascular birthmark present by age 1.[2] Several birthmark types are part of the group of skinlesions known asnevi or naevi, which isLatin for "birthmarks".
Birthmarks occur as a result of a localized imbalance in factors controlling the development andmigration ofskin cells. In addition, it is known that vascular birthmarks are nothereditary.[2][3]
Congenital melanocytic nevus is a type ofmelanocytic nevus, the medical term for what is colloquially called a "mole", found ininfants at birth. Occurring in about 1% of infants in theUnited States, it is located in the area of thehead andneck 15% of the time, but may occur anywhere on the body. It may appear as light brown in fair-skinned people, to almost black in people with darker skin. Coming in a variety of sizes and appearances, they may be irregular in shape and flat, or raised and lumpy in appearance and feel. Such naevi can also manifest themselves asbeauty marks, which most commonly appear on theface,neck orarms.
Café au lait spotmacules may occur anywhere on the body. They are most commonly oval in shape and light brown, or milk coffee, in color. These birthmarks may be present at birth, or appear in early childhood, and do not fade much with age.[4] One or two on an individual is common;[4] however, four or more may be an indicator ofneurofibromatosis.[4] In the event of weight gain, the birthmark can stretch with the skin and become larger.
A Mongolian blue spot (dermal melanocytosis) is abenign flatcongenital birthmark with wavy borders and irregular shape, most common amongEast Asians andTurkic people (excludingTurks ofAsia Minor), and named afterMongolians. It is also extremely prevalent amongEast Africans andNative Americans.[5][6] It normally disappears three to five years after birth and almost always bypuberty. The most common color is blue, although they can be blue-gray, blue-black or even deep brown.
The Mongolian spot is acongenital developmental condition exclusively involving theskin. The blue colour is caused bymelanocytes,melanin-containing cells, that are deep under the skin.[6] Usually, as multiple spots or one large patch, it covers one or more of the lumbosacral area (lowerback), thebuttocks, sides, andshoulders.[6] It results from the entrapment of melanocytes in thedermis during their migration from theneural crest to theepidermis duringembryonic development.[6]
Among those who are not aware of the background of the Mongolian spots, it may sometimes be mistaken for a bruise indicative of child abuse.[7]
.JPG)
Colloquially called a "stork bite", "angel's kiss" or "salmon patch",telangiectatic nevus appears as a pink or tanned, flat, irregularly shaped mark on theknee, back of the neck, and/or theforehead,eyelids and, sometimes, the toplip. The skin is not thickened and feels no different from anywhere else on the body; the only difference is in appearance. Nearly half of all babies have such a birthmark.[4]
Aninfantile hemangioma, colloquially called astrawberry mark, is abenign self-involutingtumor (swelling or growth) ofendothelial cells, the cells that lineblood vessels. It usually appears during the first weeks of life and resolves by age 10. It is the most commontumor ofinfancy.[8]
PHACES Syndrome, a rare condition that often involvesbrain,heart, andarterial abnormalities, is generally accompanied by the presence of large facial hemangiomas. In such cases, what appears to be a smallbruise or birthmark may grow rapidly and take on a puffy appearance in the first days or weeks of life.
Port-wine stains, also known as nevus flammeus and sometimes mistaken for strawberry marks, are present at birth and range from a pale pink in color, to a deep wine-red. Irregular in appearance, they are usually quite large, and caused by a deficiency or absence in thenerve supply toblood vessels. This causesvasodilation, the dilation of blood vessels, causing blood to pool or collect in the affected area.[9] Over time, port-wine stains may become thick or develop small ridges or bumps, and do not fade with age.[2] Such birthmarks may have emotional or social repercussions.[2] Port-wine stains occur in 0.3% of the population, equally among males and females.[2][9] They frequently express unilaterally, i.e., on only one side, not crossing the midline of the body. Often on the face, marks on the upper eyelid or forehead may be indicative of a condition calledSturge–Weber syndrome. Additionally, port-wine stains in these locations may be associated withglaucoma andseizures.[2]
Most birthmarks are harmless and do not require treatment. Pigmented marks can resolve on their own over time in some cases. Vascular birthmarks may require reduction or removal forcosmetic reasons. Treatments include administering oral or injectedsteroids,dermatological lasers to reduce size and/or color, ordermatologic surgery.[10]
Many explanations were given to explain the origin of birthmarks. Occasionally, it was said that children could be 'marked' or 'imprinted' upon by scares or frights given to the mother during the pregnancy, which draws on the outdated theory ofmaternal impression:
Children are also said to be marked by some sudden fright or unpleasant experience of the mother, and I have myself seen a pop-eyed, big-mouthed idiot whose condition is ascribed to the fact that his mother stepped on a toad several months before his birth. In another case, a large red mark on a baby's cheek was caused by the mother seeing a man shot down at her side, when the discharge of the gun threw some of the blood and brains into her face.[11]
Other explanations claimed that birthmarks shaped like food were the direct result of the mother'spregnancy cravings, or the mother touching a certain part of her body during asolar eclipse – her child's birthmark will be in the same location.[12]
Authority control databases: National |
|---|