Giant congenital melanocytic nevus - Reconstruction using multiple modalities: A case report

Abstract

Congenital melanocytic naevi are neuroectodermal lesions that are mainly composed of melanocytes. They are present in 1% to 6% of all newborns. These lesions carry the risk of transforming into melanomas; however, the psychological effect of such disfiguring naevi is potentially of greater concern to both the child and parent. Several classifications for congenital melanocytic naevi have been proposed, the most common of which is the sub-classification according to their size as this affects the choice of treatment. Many treatment modalities have been utilized including surgical excision followed by reconstruction, curettage, dermabrasion, laser therapy and chemical peels. In this report, we present a case of an otherwise healthy eight-year-old girl with a giant congenital melanocytic naevus on the central face. The lesion was mostly excised with remaining satellite lesions dermabraded. The defect was then reconstructed with a full thickness skin graft harvested from the expanded supraclavicular skin, in addition to the ReCell (non-cultured epithelial autograft) technique. Within six months post-operation, excellent skin pigmentation and texture was achieved.