Birthmark

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Greek band, see Birthmark (band).

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

Birthmark Classification and external resources
ICD-10	Q 82.5
ICD-9	757.32

A birthmark is a blemish on the skin formed before birth. They are part of the group of skin lesions known as "naevi". They are not hereditary. They are soft raised swellings on the skin, often with a bright red surface, and some may look a bit like a strawberry. They are also known as "strawberry naevi" or as "infantile haemangiomas". They appear after birth, usually in the first month, and can occur anywhere on the skin. They are more of a problem when they affect the face. The cause of birthmarks is not fully understood. They are a benign overgrowth of blood vessels in the skin, and are made up of cells that usually form the inner lining of blood vessels. They are thought to occur as a result of a localized imbalance in factors controlling the development of blood vessels. Strawberry marks affect as many as one in ten newborn Caucasian babies but only about 1% of Asian and black children have them. They are particularly common in premature babies. Strawberry marks are not a sign of ill health, or associated with cancer.

Birthmarks are called voglie in Italian, antojos in Spanish, and wiham in Arabic; all of which translate to "wishes" because, according to folklore, they are caused by unsatisfied wishes of the mother during pregnancy. For example, if a pregnant woman does not satisfy a sudden wish or craving for strawberries, it's said that the infant might bear a strawberry mark.

[edit] Types

A number of different types of birthmarks are known that include, but are not limited to, stork bites, Mongolian blue spots, strawberry marks, café au lait spots, congenital melanocytic nevi, and port-wine stains.

Common name	Also known as	Color	Shape	Size	Locale	Frequency	Prognosis	Treatment
Stork Bite, Angel's Kiss	Salmon patch or Telangiectatic naevus.	Pink.	Irregular and flat.	Less than three inches tall and wide.	Neck, head or top-lip.	Nearly half of newborns have a stork bite (angel's kiss).	Most fade by the end of the first year. There are no known health problems.	None.
Mongolian Blue Spot,	Blue bum, nevus fuscocaerulius, blue spot, sacral spot, Mongolian macula.	Bluish, bruise-like.	Irregular and flat.	About ten centimetres across.	Lower back and bottom.	Most common in darker skinned people, especially noticeable in East Asian people.	May not appear until sometime after birth, but gradually fade. No health problems, but they have been mistaken for abuse bruises by over-zealous social workers or medical staff.	None.
Strawberry mark	Capillary haemangioma.	Red.	Raised and lumpy.		Can appear anywhere on the body.	One in twenty births.	The mark usually appears between one and four weeks, it can then grow rapidly, before stopping and slowly fading. Sixty percent of marks have vanished by five years, and ninety percent have gone by age ten.	Surgery or laser treatment is not generally recommended, unless the mark is blocking vision or breathing, because of the risk of scarring.
Café au lait spot		Light brown, milk coffee color is the most common.	Oval.		Can appear anywhere on the body.	Having one or two spots is common.	There are no health problems associated with one or two spots, although three or more can be an indicator of neurofibromatosis. The spots do not fade with age.	Cosmetic
Congenital melanocytic nevus	Giant Congenital Hairy Nevus	light brown (in fair skinned people) to almost black (in darker skinned people).	Irregular, small marks usually flat, large ones can be raised and lumpy.	From under a centimeter to over 30 centimeters.	Can appear anywhere on the body	About one in a hundred births.	Some, but not all, studies have suggested a cancer risk is associated with large marks. Some marks are associated with a build up of melanin in the spinal cord, a condition called neurocutaneous melanosis. Naevi close to the eye are associated with glaucoma. Large visible marks can have a psychological impact.	Surgical removal is an option, but will usually lead to scarring. The marks should be watched as sudden changes can be a sign of cancer.
Port-wine stain	Nevus Flammeus	Pale pink at birth, becoming darker with age to a deep wine red.	Irregular.	Usually large, more than ten centimeters across.	Often on the face	Three in one thousand births.	The mark does not fade. Marks around the eye are associated with glaucoma. There can be a psychological impact.	Laser treatment is usually effective.