| Naevus flammeus nuchae | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Stork bite or Nevus simplex |
 | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
Naevus flammeus nuchae, or colloquially stork bite, is a congenital capillary malformation present in newborns. It is a common type of birthmark in a newborn. [1]
Stork bites occur in a significant number of newborns, with estimates ranging from 22–40 percent [2] to 40–70 percent; [3] they are reported more frequently for white babies than for infants of other races. [2] They result from a dilation of capillaries in the skin, [3] and may become darker when the child cries or strains. [4]
The birthmarks, which are pinkish and irregularly shaped, occur most frequently on the nape of the neck; however, they are also common on the forehead, eyelids and upper lip. [2] A baby may be born with a stork bite, or the birthmark may appear in the first months of life. They may also be found occasionally on other parts of the body. The skin is not thickened and feels no different from anywhere else on the body; the only difference is in appearance.[ citation needed ]
A doctor can diagnose a stork bite with a simple visual inspection. No tests are needed.[ citation needed ]
No treatment is needed. If a stork bite lasts longer than 3 years, it may be removed using laser surgery. [ citation needed ]
Most stork bites on the face go away completely in about 18 months. Stork bites on the back of the neck usually do not go away. [5]
"Nevus flammeus nuchae" is Latin for "flame-like mole on the nape." Nevus flammeus in other contexts refers to a port-wine stain, which is a more permanent mark. The term "stork bite" refers to the folklore idea that storks bring newborn babies to parents.
A melanocytic nevus is usually a noncancerous condition of pigment-producing skin cells. It is a type of melanocytic tumor that contains nevus cells. Some sources equate the term mole with "melanocytic nevus", but there are also sources that equate the term mole with any nevus form.
A birthmark is a congenital, 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. They are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or keratinocytes.
A Mongolian spot, also known as slate grey nevus or congenital dermal melanocytosis, is a benign, flat, congenital birthmark with wavy borders and an irregular shape. In 1883, it was described and named after Mongolians by Erwin Bälz, a German anthropologist based in Japan, who erroneously believed it to be most prevalent among his Mongolian patients. It normally disappears three to five years after birth and almost always by puberty. The most common color is blue, although they can be blue-gray, blue-black or deep brown.
Nevus is a nonspecific medical term for a visible, circumscribed, chronic lesion of the skin or mucosa. The term originates from nævus, which is Latin for "birthmark"; however, a nevus can be either congenital or acquired. Common terms, including mole, birthmark, and beauty mark, are used to describe nevi, but these terms do not distinguish specific types of nevi from one another.
A port-wine stain is a discoloration of the human skin caused by a vascular anomaly. They are so named for their coloration, which is similar in color to port wine, a fortified red wine from Portugal.
Superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) is a type of skin cancer that typically starts as an irregularly edged dark spot typically on sun-exposed part of the body. The colour may be variable with dark, light and reddish shades; occasionally no color at all. It typically grows in diameter before spreading to deeper tissue, forming a bump or becoming an ulcer. Itching, bleeding and crust formation may occur in some. The backs and shoulders of males and legs of women are particularly prone.
Sturge–Weber syndrome, sometimes referred to as encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis, is a rare congenital neurological and skin disorder. It is one of the phakomatoses and is often associated with port-wine stains of the face, glaucoma, seizures, intellectual disability, and ipsilateral leptomeningeal angioma. Sturge–Weber syndrome can be classified into three different types. Type 1 includes facial and leptomeningeal angiomas as well as the possibility of glaucoma or choroidal lesions. Normally, only one side of the brain is affected. This type is the most common. Type 2 involvement includes a facial angioma with a possibility of glaucoma developing. There is no evidence of brain involvement. Symptoms can show at any time beyond the initial diagnosis of the facial angioma. The symptoms can include glaucoma, cerebral blood flow abnormalities and headaches. More research is needed on this type of Sturge–Weber syndrome. Type 3 has leptomeningeal angioma involvement exclusively. The facial angioma is absent and glaucoma rarely occurs. This type is only diagnosed via brain scan.
A spider angioma or spider naevus, also nevus araneus, is a type of telangiectasis found slightly beneath the skin's surface, often containing a central red spot and deep reddish extensions which radiate outwards like a spider's web or a spider's legs. They are common and often benign, presenting in around 10–15% of healthy adults and young children. However, having more than three spider angiomas is likely to be abnormal and may be a sign of liver disease and/or hepatitis C ; it also suggests the probability of esophageal varices.
Blaschko's lines, also called the lines of Blaschko, are lines of normal cell development in the skin. These lines are only visible in those with a mosaic skin condition or in chimeras where different cell lines contain different genes. These lines may express different amounts of melanin, or become visible due to a differing susceptibility to disease. In such individuals, they can become apparent as whorls, patches, streaks or lines in a linear or segmental distribution over the skin. They follow a V shape over the back, S-shaped whirls over the chest and sides, and wavy shapes on the head. Not all mosaic skin conditions follow Blaschko's lines.
Nevus of Ota is a hyperpigmentation that occurs on the face, most often appearing on the white of the eye. It also occurs on the forehead, nose, cheek, periorbital region, and temple.
A blue nevus is a type of coloured mole, typically a single well-defined blue-black bump.
Roy G. Geronemus is an American dermatologist in the field of laser treatment of skin disorders.
A vascular malformation is a blood vessel or lymph vessel abnormality. Vascular malformations are one of the classifications of vascular anomalies, the other grouping is vascular tumors. They may cause aesthetic problems as they have a growth cycle, and can continue to grow throughout life.
Eccrine angiomatous hamartoma (EAH), first described by Lotzbeck in 1859, is a rare benign vascular hamartoma characterized histologically by a proliferation of eccrine and vascular components. EAH exists on a spectrum of cutaneous tumors that include eccrine nevus, mucinous eccrine nevus and EAH. Each diagnostic subtype is characterized by an increase in the number as well as size of mature eccrine glands or ducts, with EAH being distinguished by the added vascular component.
Midline nevus flammeus is a vascular birthmark which may be found on the glabellar region or on one upper eyelid, and presents in approximately 15% of newborns.
Fibrous papule of the nose is a harmless small bump on or near the nose. It is typically dome-shaped, skin-colored, white or reddish, smooth and firm. Less frequently it can occur elsewhere on the face. Sometimes there are a few. It may be shiny and remains unchanged for life. There may be a central hair.
A Spitz nevus is a benign skin lesion. A type of melanocytic nevus, it affects the epidermis and dermis.
Sycosis vulgaris is a cutaneous condition characterized by a chronic infection of the chin or bearded region. The irritation is caused by a deep infection of hair follicles, often by species of Staphylococcus or Propionibacterium bacteria. Asymptomatic or painful and tender erythematous papules and pustules may form around coarse hair in the beard or the back of the neck.
Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome, formerly Klippel–Trénaunay–Weber syndrome and sometimes angioosteohypertrophy syndrome and hemangiectatic hypertrophy, is a rare congenital medical condition in which blood vessels and/or lymph vessels fail to form properly. The three main features are nevus flammeus, venous and lymphatic malformations, and soft-tissue hypertrophy of the affected limb. It is similar to, though distinctly separate from, the less common Parkes Weber syndrome.