Derm - Birth Marks

Question 1

Defintion

Answer 1

Coloured marks on the skin’s that are present at birth or soon afterwards. Most are harmless and disappear without treatment but some may need to be treated

Question 2

Salmon patches

Answer 2

Harmless clusters of blood vessels that create small, flat, pinkish-red marks and can appear on any area of the body
- When appear at the back of the neck, they are sometimes nicknamed “stork bites”
- May also appear on the centre of the face, including the forehead, eyelids, or lip. These almost always fade as the baby grows.

Question 3

Haemangiomas (strawberry marks)

Answer 3

Epidemiology/RF:
- Girls 3:1
- Premature babies

• Bright red colour.
• Can be flat and splotchy or look like raised, hard bumps.
• Most of the time grow rapidly during the first year of a baby’s life. Then they flatten out and slowly fade.
  Many haemangiomas disappear completely by the time a child is 10 years old.
• Sometimes appear under the skin, making it look blue or purple. May need treatment if they affect vision, breathing, or feeding

Question 4

Port wine stains

Answer 4

• Usually present at birth.
• Commonly found on the face.
• Initially appearing as flat pink or red areas on the skin can darken to a deeper red or purple colour over the years.
• The underlying skin may become thicker. These birthmarks may also increase in size as children grow.
• Rarely associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome, which carries an increased risk of glaucoma.
• Sturge-Weber syndrome may also cause seizures due to an abnormality of blood vessels in the lining covering the brain.
• The risk of this condition is highest in babies who have port wine stain birthmarks covering half of the face or more.

Question 5

Cafe-au-lait spot

Answer 5

Café-au-lait spots = light brown colour and although some are present at birth, most appear after a child is born.
- Excess of melanin and generally don’t fade and may get bigger or darker over time.
- Most are harmless. However, the presence of 6 or more, regardless of their location on the body, may be linked to a genetic medical condition called neurofibromatosis type 1.

Question 6

Congential melanocytic naevi

Answer 6

• Moles that are present at birth and are often larger, may have hair sprouting from them, and appear on any part of the body.
• These moles may range from light to dark brown or almost black.
• Most moles are harmless, but the risk of developing cancer increases later in life if a baby is born wit a mole larger than 8cm.