The Nevus Sebaceous.

Nevus sebaceous

This is an uncommon scalp growth that is noticed at birth. The affected newborn has a hairless patch and the area remains devoid of hair for life.

The area is typically slightly yellow, orange or pinkish color. The area can change in appearance over time, especially at puberty. At puberty, the nevus sebaceous becomes much more bumpy.
 

Additional Changes in the NS

A number of benign and malignant tumors may occur in the nevus sebaceous. The most common benign tumors are the trichiblastoma and syringocystadenoma papilliferum. In fact, about 10-30 % of nevus sebaceous develop these benign tumors.

Surgical excision: Should these be removed?

Years ago, most individuals with a nevus sebaceous of the scalp were booked for surgery to have it removed out of concern for malignant transformation. The approach is different nowadays. Now the rate of transformation is understood to be very low (less than 1 %) and routine monitoring (rather than excision) is more common.