What Is a Mongolian Spot?

Mongolian spot (mongolian spot) is congenital dermal melanocytes. It is also called mole because the baby is born. Histologically, melanocytes remain deep in the dermis, so it is also called dermal melanosis. Mongolian spot can occur in any part of the body, more common in the lumbosacral and hip. Because the melanin particles are located in deeper parts, under the Tyndall effect of light, they have a special gray-cyan or blue color. As the baby grows, the color of the Mongolian spot gradually fades, or disappears, without any harm to the body, and no special treatment is required.

Mongolian spot

Chinese name: Mongolian spot

English name: mongolian macula

Alias: dermal melanosis; child spot; fetal spot; dermal melanosis; mongolian spot

Mongolian spot basic information

Causes of Mongolian spot

It is caused by melanocytes staying deep in the dermis during the transition from neural crest to epidermis during embryonic period.

Clinical manifestations of Mongolian spot

Pigmented spots are almost always confined to the lumbosacral region and the buttocks. Occasionally seen on the femoral side or even the shoulders, they are grayish blue, blue, or blue-black, round, oval, or irregular, and the edges are not obvious. The diameter can be counted from just a few Millimeters to more than ten centimeters, mostly single shots, occasionally multiple shots as shown in the figure. In addition to the pigmentation of the affected area, there were no abnormalities and the skin lines were normal. Fetuses occur from time to time, deepen within a period of time after birth, and then gradually fade, and often fade away without leaving traces at the age of 5 to 7 years, and even continue into adulthood or even expand.

Mongolian spot treatment

No treatment is generally required. For patients with generalized long-term persistence, short pulse lasers such as switching ruby, neodymium: yttrium aluminum garnet red, or emerald laser can be used for treatment.

Mongolian spot occurs in the hips of Eastern people. Its appearance is blue and black like blood stasis. Because of this characteristic, coupled with less occurrence in whites, some Western physicians who have no experience in the unknown have seen this. Oriental children, also mistakenly believe that they are abused children. It is a fairly common problem, and most people disappear without leaving a trace when they are three to four years old.

Mongolian spot is generally the most common birthmark of newborns and is congenital, with an incidence rate of about 86.3%. Newborn parents can find a little light gray cyan, dark cyan spots on the baby's waist, hips and back. Most of them are symmetrical in left and right and are mostly singular, mostly round, oval or square, but the realm is not very obvious. Although the chance of this happening is quite high, most of the spots will almost disappear naturally as the baby grows up. Therefore, if it disappears naturally during childhood, it indicates that it is a good skin change, but so far, no reports of malignancy have appeared.

It is worth mentioning that most of these spots are congenital and will fade naturally, so there is no need for prevention, and parents of newborns need not worry too much.