About one newborn every hundred has one or more in the birth. In the infants are more properly called congenital melanocytic snow and are generally benign. In some cases, however, they deserve to be monitored, for example, if they are very large, if there are many or if they have a suspicious appearance.
«Doctor, look, Mattia already has a neo on the tummyis there to worry? »Asks the mother to the first check from the pediatrician. “There is only one and it is very small, for the moment we can rest assured but we will keep it under control”, reassures her the doctor.
About one newborn every hundred has one or more in the birth. THE in the infants they are more properly called congenital melanocitic snows And they are generally benign. In some cases, however, they deserve to be monitored, for example, if they are very large, if there are many or if they have a suspicious appearance.
THE In the childrenacquired after birth, they are much more frequent. A Caucasian adult has On average 20-40 inof which many already appear in childhood. These must be controlled and possibly removed if some should present characteristics deemed suspicious for melanoma.
In the children: what to pay attention to
THE in the are due to the proliferation of melanocytesskin cells that contain melanin, the pigment that determines the complexion. All infants should be evaluated due to the presence of in congenital ones.
At birth The color of the in the From red to brown to black and may not be homogeneous, that is, you can notice specks of different color inside them. As for the shape of the in the in, they normally present themselves as round or oval dots of the lower size to the rubber of a pencil, in rare cases the in the infants can be very large with a diameter over 20 cm (giant snow) and can come to cover an entire part of the body. There surface of the children can be smooth or slightly detected and hair can also grow on them.
When to check the children in the children?
Most of the children in children does not arouse any concernbut it is essential to carry out the check of the in the Even in children because during childhood and adolescence they can appear new in and those already present they can increase in size with growth or change colorbecoming darker or clearer. Some may lighten to such an extent that they are not almost visible.
These variations They are normal and almost never are the sign of a melanoma, a malignant tumor that is rare in childhood and which, however, responds well to treatments if discovered early. When then is it appropriate to have the children checked? They are essentially five signs to pay attentioneasily memorizable thanks to their initials, ABCDE:
- Asymmetry: dividing in two the mole with an imaginary line half are very different?
- Edges: do they appear irregular or jagged?
- Color: Has it changed or become uneven? Did they appear darker areas within the Neo?
- Size: does it have a diameter of more than 6 mm?
- Evolution: Has the appearance of the neo change quickly?
These criteria, very useful for adults, However, they are not always valid for childrenin which changes in the in the growth can be linked to growth, without representing a risk signal. However It is good to control the children And contact PediatrIf you notice changes or ulcerations on the surface, if a neo bleeds without having suffered trauma, if palpation is painful or has nodules. The presence of in multiples is also a condition worthy of attention. Children or girls with many in them must be followed periodically by the dermatologistbecause they have a greater risk of developing a melanoma at a young age.
A neo with suspicious characteristics will be evaluated by the dermatologist with Epiluminescencea technique that uses a light source connected to a microscope or a camera to illuminate and view the internal structures of the pigmented lesion. The in the considered at risk can then be removed and analyzed to verify that there are no neoplastic cells.
Perform mapping in children Instead, it is not recommended as epiluminescence must be carried out only on specific pigmented lesions and, in children, there is hardly more than a pigmented at risk.
When to worry about the children?
The risk that a congenital melanocytic nevus becomes a melanoma is Bass and varies according to the dimensions of the in the. Is calculated for all in a risk of neoplastic evolution of 0.7% -2.2% in the course of life But this risk is greater for those who present giant snows (from 3 to 8% depending on the different studies). In rare cases then the presence of large or giant congenital snows can associate with a pathology known as neurocutaneous melanocytosischaracterized by the presence of melanocyte deposits on the menings and/or brain and spinal cord.
To exclude the presence of this pathology, which can be asymptomatic or manifest itself with convulsions, headaches and in the most serious cases symptoms from marrow compression or cognitive delaythe pediatrician will prescribe, in situations considered to high riska magnetic resonance of brain and spinal cord.
Giant snow, if possible, should be removed while Atypical congenital snows by shape and color but small and medium size can be monitored Until the child becomes a collaborating so as to allow the removal under local anesthesia. This moment has varying from case to case. If, on the other hand, the mole presents characteristics of short -term risk which make the removal urgent, this can be done under general anesthesia.
Sometimes you can decide to Remove a neo also because present in an area where i traumatismfor example a neo -localized neo at the height of the waist where they press the belts of the pants, which, especially if the mole is detected, can determine bleeding.
If you want, however, to remove a mole for aesthetic reasons, it must be considered that in its place the signs of one could remain scar. The removal of in the prophylactic purposes, in the absence of suspicious elements but to prevent the onset of a melanoma, is not recommended. In fact, you cannot be sure to remove all the cells that, by changing, can become neoplastic.
Some tips
The skin surface of in the very large can be dry and more vulnerable. Sometimes, moreover, these lesions are very itchy. In these cases it is preferable to wash children with a perfume -free neutral soap and possibly apply moisturizing and soothing creams after the bath.
As regards exposure to sunlight, as for all children, it is recommended to cover the garment and body as far as possible and to use high protection sunscreen from UV rays. If hair appears on the mole and you want to remove them, procedures such as shaving, hair removal with wax or creams are likely at low risk but have not been studied thoroughly. The most practical and safe option is Cut the hair at the base with scissors.
The application of depilator laser can determine changes at the level of the fabrics But the risk of developing a melanoma with the use of these procedures is considered low.Infine, it is important to teach children from an early age to control the in: a fundamental habit to take care of their own skin and health.
