Birthmark
| Birthmark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mongolian spotvisible on six-month-old baby | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
Abirthmarkis acongenital,benignirregularity 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.
Dermatologistsdivide birthmarks into two types: pigmented birthmarks and vascular birthmarks. Pigmented birthmarks caused by excessskin pigmentcells 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 avascularbirthmark present by age 1.[2]Several birthmark types are part of the group of skinlesionsknown asnevior naevi, which isLatinfor "birthmarks".
Birthmarks occur as a result of a localized imbalance in factors controlling the development andmigrationofskin cells.In addition, it is known that vascular birthmarks are nothereditary.[2][3]
Pigmented types
[edit]Mole
[edit]Congenital melanocytic nevusis a type ofmelanocytic nevus,the medical term for what is colloquially called a "mole", found ininfantsat birth. Occurring in about 1% of infants in theUnited States,it is located in the area of theheadandneck15% 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,neckorarms.
Café au lait spot
[edit]Café au lait spotmaculesmay 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.
Mongolian spot
[edit]A Mongolian blue spot (dermal melanocytosis) is abenignflatcongenitalbirthmark with wavy borders and irregular shape, most common amongEast AsiansandTurkicpeople (excludingTurksofAsia Minor), and named afterMongolians.It is also extremely prevalent amongEast AfricansandNative 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 acongenitaldevelopmental 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 thedermisduring their migration from theneural crestto theepidermisduringembryonicdevelopment.[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]
Vascular types
[edit]Stork bite
[edit]
Colloquially called a "storkbite ","angel's kiss "or"salmonpatch ",telangiectatic nevusappears as a pink or tanned, flat, irregularly shaped mark on theknee,back of the neck, and/or theforehead,eyelidsand, 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]
Strawberry mark
[edit]Aninfantile hemangioma,colloquially called astrawberrymark, is abenignself-involutingtumor(swelling or growth) ofendothelialcells, the cells that lineblood vessels.It usually appears during the first weeks of life and resolves by age 10. It is the most commontumorofinfancy.[8]
PHACES Syndrome,a rare condition that often involvesbrain,heart,andarterialabnormalities, is generally accompanied by the presence of large facial hemangiomas. In such cases, what appears to be a smallbruiseor birthmark may grow rapidly and take on a puffy appearance in the first days or weeks of life.
Port-wine stain
[edit]
Port-winestains, 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 thenervesupply 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 withglaucomaandseizures.[2]
Treatment
[edit]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 forcosmeticreasons. Treatments include administering oral or injectedsteroids,dermatological lasersto reduce size and/or color, ordermatologic surgery.[10]
Historical explanations
[edit]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]
References
[edit]- ^"birthmark"atDorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^abcdef"Birthmarks".American Academy of Dermatology.Archived fromthe originalon 2009-11-08.Retrieved2011-06-20.
- ^"Birthmarks".Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-02-02.Retrieved2008-08-02.
- ^abcd"Parenting and Child Health - Health Topics - Birthmarks".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-23.
- ^About Mongolian Spot
- ^abcdMongolian blue spotsArchived2017-01-19 at theWayback Machine- Health care guide discussing the Mongolian blue spot.
- ^Mongolian Spot- English information of Mongolian spot, written by Hironao NUMABE, M.D., Tokyo Medical University.
- ^Haggstrom AN, Drolet BA, Baselga E, et al. (September 2006)."Prospective study of infantile hemangiomas: clinical characteristics predicting complications and treatment".Pediatrics.118(3): 882–7.doi:10.1542/peds.2006-0413.PMID16950977.S2CID31052666.
- ^ab"Port Wine Stain Information".Vascular Birthmark Foundation.Retrieved2008-08-02.
- ^"Birthmarks: Diagnosis and treatment".
- ^Randolph, Vance (2013-06-18).Ozark Superstitions.Read Books Ltd.ISBN978-1-4733-8824-6.
- ^Egger, Andjela N.; Chowdhury, Aneesa R.; Espinal, Maria C.; Maddy, Austin J. (2020)."Birthmarks: Tradition, Culture, Myths, and Folklore".Dermatology.236(3): 216–218.doi:10.1159/000501273.ISSN1018-8665.PMID31362285.S2CID198999685.
External links
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