• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.147-151
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• 2010

Giant congenital melanocytic nevi are very rare, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 20,000 live births. They have a high risk of malignant melanoma transformation and neurological deficits such as neurocutaneous melanocytosis and epilepsy. Early evaluation, surgical intervention and careful long term follow up are recommended to monitor for malignant transformation. We report one case of giant congenital melanocytic nevi diagnosed at birth with the related literatures.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.763-768
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• 2010

Purpose: Reconstruction of soft tissue defect using tissue expander can provide better flap which is more similar to surrounding tissue in color, skin texture and hair compared to other methods. Many pediatric patients need reconstruction of soft tissue defect because of giant congenital nevi, congenital or acquired malformations and burn scars. Reconstruction using tissue expander is adequate to minimize dysmorphism in these patients. We intended to assess outcomes of using tissue expander in pediatric patients by retrospective study. Methods: Total cases were 168 of pediatric patients who received soft tissue reconstruction using tissue expander by the same surgeon from February, 1982 to May, 2009. All patients who received soft tissue reconstruction were under 10 years old. Mean age was 4.3 years old, the youngest 13 months, the oldest 8 years. Eightynine cases were male and 79 cases were female. Most common cause was giant hairy nevi (67 cases, 39.9%), secondary cause was burn scar/scar contracture (61 cases, 36.3%). Trunk (38 cases, 22.6%) was most common anatomical location. Results: Soft tissue defects were successfully covered using tissue expander in 149 cases (88.7%) without major complications. There was infection on 8 cases (4.7%) and we treated by adequate antibiotics in these cases. There were tissue expander folding or valve displacement on 5 cases (3%). Conclusion: Usage of tissue expander is useful on pediatric patients because tissue expansion is rapid on children and there are less secondary contractures on operation site than full thickness skin graft. Because of psychological stress due to tissue expander, operation should be performed before school age.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.523-529
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• 2017

Background Serial tissue expansion is performed to remove giant congenital melanocytic nevi. However, there have been no studies comparing the expansion rate between the subsequent and preceding expansions. In this study, we analyzed the rate of expansion in accordance with the number of surgeries, expander location, expander size, and sex. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed in pediatric patients who underwent tissue expansion for giant congenital melanocytic nevi. We tested four factors that may influence the expansion rate: The number of surgeries, expander location, expander size, and sex. The rate of expansion was calculated by dividing the 'inflation amount' by the 'expander size'. Results The expansion rate, compared with the first-time group, was 1.25 times higher in the second-or-more group (P=0.04) and 1.84 times higher in the third-or-more group (P<0.01). The expansion rate was higher at the trunk than at other sites (P<0.01). There was a tendency of lower expansion rate for larger expanders (P=0.03). Sex did not affect the expansion rate. Conclusions There was a positive correlation between the number of surgeries and the expansion rate, a positive correlation between the expander location and the expansion rate, and a negative correlation between the expander size and the expansion rate.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.212-216
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• 2006

Neurocutaneous melanosis is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by the presence of large or multiple congenital melanocytic nevi and benign pigment cell tumors of the leptomeninges. Neurocutaneous melanosis is thought to represent an error in the morphogenesis of embryonal neuroectoderm. We experienced a neonate who presented with giant, dark colored pigmented nevi covering chest, abdomen, neck and arms, with satellite lesions. Magnetic resonance image showed a nodular hyperintense lesion in the amygdala of the right temporal lobe, and T1-weighted images showed hyperintensities in the adjacent leptomeninges. We report a rare case of neurocutaneous melanosis with a brief review of related literature.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.551-558
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• 2020

Background Giant congenital melanocytic nevus (GCMN) is a rare disease, for which complete surgical resection is recommended. However, the size of the lesions presents problems for the management of the condition. The most popular approach is to use a tissue expander; however, single-stage expansion in reconstructive surgery for GCMN cannot always address the entire defect. Few reports have compared tissue expansion techniques. The present study compared single and serial expansion to analyze the risk factors for complications and the surgical outcomes of the two techniques. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients who underwent tissue expander reconstruction between March 2011 and July 2019. Serial expansion was indicated in cases of anatomically obvious defects after the first expansion, limited skin expansion with two more expander insertions, or capsular contracture after removal of the first expander. Results Fifty-five patients (88 cases) were analyzed, of whom 31 underwent serial expansion. The number of expanders inserted was higher in the serial-expansion group (P<0.001). The back and lower extremities were the most common locations for single and serial expansion, respectively (P =0.043). Multivariate analysis showed that sex (odds ratio [OR], 0.257; P=0.015), expander size (OR, 1.016; P=0.015), and inflation volume (OR, 0.987; P=0.015) were risk factors for complications. Conclusions Serial expansion is a good option for GCMN management. We demonstrated that large-sized expanders and large inflation volumes can lead to complications, and therefore require risk-reducing strategies. Nonetheless, serial expansion with proper management is appropriate for certain patients and can provide aesthetically satisfactory outcomes.