eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Pediatric Diseases

Transient Neonatal Pustular Melanosis: Follow-up

Author: Britt A Durham, MD, Co-Director of Risk Management, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, King-Drew Trauma Center and University of California at Los Angeles
Coauthor(s): Anne Laumann, MB, BCh, MRCP, FAAD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Sep 6, 2007

Follow-up

Deterrence/Prevention

Contagious isolation is unnecessary.

Prognosis

The prognosis for this benign condition is good. The vesicles and pustules usually resolve within 48 hours, while the brown macules may persist for several months.

Patient Education

Reassure the parents that this is a benign, self-limiting condition.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

Failure to recognize and distinguish this condition from other neonatal pustular and vesicular dermatoses with more serious systemic implications is a pitfall. Congenital herpes is the differential diagnosis that represents the greatest threat of a poor outcome. Because pustules can be a manifestation of sepsis, it is important to consider infectious etiologies in neonates.

 


More on Transient Neonatal Pustular Melanosis

Overview: Transient Neonatal Pustular Melanosis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Transient Neonatal Pustular Melanosis
Treatment & Medication: Transient Neonatal Pustular Melanosis
Follow-up: Transient Neonatal Pustular Melanosis
References

References

  1. Cohen L, Skopicki D, Harrist T, Clark Jr W. Noninfectious vesiculobullous and vesiculopustular diseases. In: Elder D, Elenitsasis R, Jaworsky C, Johnson Jr B, eds. Lever's Histopathology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott-Raven; 1997:237.

  2. Dinulos JG, Graham EA. Influence of culture and pigment on skin conditions in children. Pediatr Rev. Aug 1998;19(8):268-75. [Medline].

  3. Ferrándiz C, Coroleu W, Ribera M, Lorenzo JC, Natal A. Sterile transient neonatal pustulosis is a precocious form of erythema toxicum neonatorum. Dermatology. 1992;185(1):18-22. [Medline].

  4. Mengesha YM, Bennett ML. Pustular skin disorders: diagnosis and treatment. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(6):389-400. [Medline].

  5. Ramamurthy RS, Reveri M, Esterly NB, Fretzin DF, Pildes RS. Transient neonatal pustular melanosis. J Pediatr. May 1976;88(5):831-5. [Medline].

  6. St John EB. Neonatal Pustular Melanosis. eMedicine from WebMD [serial online]. March 28, 2006;Available at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic698.htm.

  7. Ta A, Sandler B. Common transient neonatal dermatoses. In: Harper J, Oranje A, Prose N, eds. Textbook of Pediatric Dermatology. London, England: Blackwell Science; 2000:59-61.

  8. Treadwell PA. Dermatoses in newborns. Am Fam Physician. Aug 1997;56(2):443-50. [Medline].

  9. van Emmen E, Roord ST, Brouwer AF, Kuiters GR, Bekhof J. [Pustular and vesicular skin eruptions in newborns]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. Feb 3 2007;151(5):277-83. [Medline].

Further Reading

Keywords

vesicles, superficial pustules, pigmented macules, neonatal skin conditions, neonatal dermatoses

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Britt A Durham, MD, Co-Director of Risk Management, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, King-Drew Trauma Center and University of California at Los Angeles
Britt A Durham, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Anne Laumann, MB, BCh, MRCP, FAAD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Anne Laumann, MB, BCh, MRCP, FAAD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Chicago Dermatological Society, Chicago Medical Society, Illinois Dermatological Society, Illinois State Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, Medical Dermatology Society, and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

James Fulton Jr, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Fulton Skin Institute
James Fulton Jr, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, American Academy of Dermatology, Phi Beta Kappa, and Sigma Xi
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

Van Perry, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of Texas Health Science Center
Van Perry, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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

 
 
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