Absence of clinical and dermoscopic differences between congenital and noncongenital melanocytic naevi in a cohort of 2-year-old children

Abstract

The number of naevi present in the first 2 years of life is small, and over half have already appeared at birth. They are distributed widely over the skin. BPN are larger than FLN, but most naevi are small. There was no significant difference in the dermoscopic features between the 133 BPN and FLN. The predominant patterns were globular and reticular. We could not identify defined criteria that allowed us to diagnose CMN with certainty and distinguish them from TCN and AMN.

Clinical and dermoscopic characteristics of congenital melanocytic naevi

“…Dermoscopic features that we detected with an increased frequency were haloed and target globules, blotches and perifollicular hypopigmentation, compatible with other studies . Hypertrophic hair follicles and extension of naevus cells around follicles may explain the increased frequency of perifollicular hypopigmentation constantly observed in all studies . Focal hypopigmentation was not specifically thought in our study but it was observed, particularly over small hypopigmented nodules, corresponding to neurotization of dermal melanocytes.…”

“…No clinical or dermoscopic differences were found between CN and CNLN in our study, and this has been confirmed in a previous study, apart from the increased size and the higher likelihood of irregular borders of CN . The absence of any significant differences supports the congenital nature of CNLN.…”

“…Focal hypopigmentation was not specifically thought in our study but it was observed, particularly over small hypopigmented nodules, corresponding to neurotization of dermal melanocytes. We were not able to detect any vascular structures similar to Stinco et al . However, other investigators detected vascular structures in 8–76% of their cases Blue‐white structures were only rarely observed in our study.…”

“…Regression and radial streaks were constantly absent in our study. Specific dermoscopic features of CN appear with an increased or a reduced frequency depending on the study, but these discrepancies are likely due to the different populations studied, the different dermoscopic tools used and the minor differences in the criteria used to identify these features and the difficulty to identify them.…”

“…However, other investigators detected vascular structures in 8–76% of their cases Blue‐white structures were only rarely observed in our study. Blue‐white structures, one of the most important dermoscopic criteria for melanoma, are rarely detected in CN and should be sought with caution. Regression and radial streaks were constantly absent in our study.…”