eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Benign Neoplasms

Nevi of Ota and Ito: Follow-up

Author: Harvey Lui, MD, FRCPC, Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia; Medical Director, The Skin Centre, Lions Laser Skin Centre and Psoriasis and Phototherapy Clinic, Vancouver General Hospital
Coauthor(s): Youwen Zhou, MD, PhD, FRCP(C), Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia; Director, Hyperhidrosis Specialty Clinic, Co-Director, Psoriasis and Phototherapy Centre, Consulting Physician, Department of Dermatology, Vancouver General Hospital, Co-Director, Vitiligo and Pigmentation Clinic, Oncologist Consultant, Skin Tumor Program, BC Cancer Agency
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jul 14, 2008

Follow-up

Further Outpatient Care

  • No special dermatology outpatient follow-up care is required; however, an ophthalmologist should examine patients with nevus of Ota periodically for the development of glaucoma.

Complications

  • Skin biopsies are warranted if clinical changes are suspected of malignant transformation (eg, ulceration, new papular lesions, variegations in color) within the involved skin, ocular, or mucosal tissues.
  • Ophthalmologic follow-up care is necessary for patients with increased intraocular pressure.

Prognosis

  • Without treatment, the skin lesions are permanent.
  • The development of glaucoma in patients with nevus of Ota can be as high as 10%.
  • Malignant degeneration has been described rarely in white patients with both nevus of Ota and nevus of Ito.

Patient Education

  • Make patients aware of the risk associated with the development of glaucoma. Instruct patients to schedule periodic follow-up visits with an ophthalmologist.
  • Instruct patients to report any unusual symptoms or changes to the lesional areas to a physician, since a small risk for malignant degeneration exists.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to recognize the potential for malignant degradation of nevi of Ota and Ito, especially in white patients, may result in medicolegal complications.
 


More on Nevi of Ota and Ito

Overview: Nevi of Ota and Ito
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Nevi of Ota and Ito
Treatment & Medication: Nevi of Ota and Ito
Follow-up: Nevi of Ota and Ito
References

References

  1. Ito M. Studies on melanin XXII. Nevus fuscocaeruleus acromio-deltoideus. Tohoko J Exper Med. 1954;60:10.

  2. Patel BC, Egan CA, Lucius RW, Gerwels JW, Mamalis N, Anderson RL. Cutaneous malignant melanoma and oculodermal melanocytosis (nevus of Ota): report of a case and review of the literature. J Am Acad Dermatol. May 1998;38(5 Pt 2):862-5. [Medline].

  3. van Krieken JH, Boom BW, Scheffer E. Malignant transformation in a naevus of Ito. A case report. Histopathology. Jan 1988;12(1):100-2. [Medline].

  4. Teekhasaenee C, Ritch R, Rutnin U, Leelawongs N. Glaucoma in oculodermal melanocytosis. Ophthalmology. May 1990;97(5):562-70. [Medline].

  5. Hirayama T, Suzuki T. A new classification of Ota's nevus based on histopathological features. Dermatologica. 1991;183(3):169-72. [Medline].

  6. Anderson RR. Lasers in dermatology--a critical update. J Dermatol. Nov 2000;27(11):700-5. [Medline].

  7. Watanabe S, Takahashi H. Treatment of nevus of Ota with the Q-switched ruby laser. N Engl J Med. Dec 29 1994;331(26):1745-50. [Medline].

  8. Chan HH, Leung RS, Ying SY, Lai CF, Kono T, Chua JK, et al. A retrospective analysis of complications in the treatment of nevus of Ota with the Q-switched alexandrite and Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers. Dermatol Surg. Nov 2000;26(11):1000-6. [Medline].

  9. Wang HW, Liu YH, Zhang GK, Jin HZ, Zuo YG, Jiang GT, et al. Analysis of 602 Chinese cases of nevus of Ota and the treatment results treated by Q-switched alexandrite laser. Dermatol Surg. Apr 2007;33(4):455-60. [Medline].

  10. Hosaka Y, Onizuka T, Ichinose M, Yoshimoto S, Okubo F, Hori S, et al. Treatment of nevus Ota by liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. Plast Reconstr Surg. Apr 1995;95(4):703-11. [Medline].

  11. Hidano A, Kajima H, Ikeda S, Mizutani H, Miyasato H, Niimura M. Natural history of nevus of Ota. Arch Dermatol. Feb 1967;95(2):187-95. [Medline].

Further Reading

Keywords

hamartoma, nevus of Ota, nevus of Ito, Hori nevus, Hori's nevus, nevus fuscoceruleus zygomaticus, plaque-type variant of blue nevus, nevus fuscoceruleus acromiodeltoideus

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Harvey Lui, MD, FRCPC, Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia; Medical Director, The Skin Centre, Lions Laser Skin Centre and Psoriasis and Phototherapy Clinic, Vancouver General Hospital
Harvey Lui, MD, FRCPC is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Dermatological Association, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, American Society for Photobiology, Canadian Dermatology Association, Canadian Dermatology Foundation, Canadian Medical Association, College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, Dermatology Foundation, European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, National Psoriasis Foundation, North American Hair Research Society, and Photomedicine Society
Disclosure: Astellas Consulting fee Review panel membership; Amgen/Wyeth Consulting fee Speaking and teaching; LEO Pharma Honoraria Speaking and teaching; LEO Pharma Grant/research funds Investigator; Serono Grant/research funds Investigator; Galderma Grant/research funds Other

Coauthor(s)

Youwen Zhou, MD, PhD, FRCP(C), Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia; Director, Hyperhidrosis Specialty Clinic, Co-Director, Psoriasis and Phototherapy Centre, Consulting Physician, Department of Dermatology, Vancouver General Hospital, Co-Director, Vitiligo and Pigmentation Clinic, Oncologist Consultant, Skin Tumor Program, BC Cancer Agency
Youwen Zhou, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Sungnack Lee, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Professor, Department of Dermatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Korea
Sungnack Lee, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Dermatological Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Michael J Wells, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Michael J Wells, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Christen M Mowad, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Christen M Mowad, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Joel M Gelfand, MD, MSCE, Medical Director, Clinical Studies Unit, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Associate Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania
Joel M Gelfand, MD, MSCE is a member of the following medical societies: Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: AMGEN Consulting fee Consulting; AMGEN Grant/research funds None; Genentech Consulting fee Consulting; Centocor Consulting fee Consulting; Centocor Grant/research funds None; Covance Consulting fee Consulting; Shire  Consulting

Chief Editor

William D James, MD, Paul R Gross Professor of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Vice-Chair, Program Director, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System
William D James, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: elsevier Royalty Other; american college of physicians Honoraria Other

 
 
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