What Is Nevus of Ota?

Ota nevus is also called brownish navy on the palate and melanocytic hyperplasia of the eye skin. It is a gray-blue plaque that spreads to the sclera and ipsilateral side along the trigeminal nerve branch and maxillary branch described in 1938 Film damage occurs in people of color, such as Orientals and Blacks. Women are more common. The age of onset has two peaks in infancy and adolescence, of which 61.35% are under 1 year old.

Basic Information

Also known as

Brown navy mole on palate, melanocyte hyperplasia of eye skin

English name

nevusofOta

Visiting department

dermatology

Multiple groups

Orientals, Black Women; Infancy, Adolescence

Common locations

Periorbital, temporal, nose, forehead, sacrum

Causes of Ota Mole

It may be related to heredity. It is an autosomal dominant heredity. During embryonic development, when melanocytes migrate from the neural crest to the epidermis, they fail to pass through the epidermal and dermal junction and stay in the dermis for some reason. Some studies suggest that it may not be melanocytes, but a hamartoma or mole-like lesion similar to a blue mole.

Clinical manifestations of Ota mole

It has been reported that 2/3 of patients have eye damage at birth, and skin damage can occur after more than 10 years. The damage occurs on one side of the face, especially the area dominated by the first and second branches of the trigeminal nerve. Common in the periorbital, temporal, nasal, forehead and sacrum. Pigments with a size of a few centimeters can be gray-blue, cyan-gray, taupe, black, or purple. The patches are unevenly colored, spotted or reticulated, and the boundaries are unclear. It is usually brown-spotted or reticular, while blue is more diffuse. The color of stains often deepens with age, and occasionally nodules appear in the stains. About two-thirds of patients have blue stains or brown spots on the ipsilateral sclera, and sometimes there are pigmented spots on the tarsal conjunctiva and cornea. A few patients have similar damage to the oral and nasal mucosa. 5% to 10% of cases are bilateral. A small number of patients may be accompanied by ito nevus, persistent mongolian spot, or erythema nevus. Ota moles are rarely malignant.

Ota mole diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on the location and color of pigmentation spots.

Ota mole treatment

If the color is light and the range is small, liquid nitrogen freezing, chemical exfoliation and skin abrasion can be tried. Some cases can get better results. Those with deeper color or a larger range have poorer effects on the above treatments. Dye pulse lasers such as ruby and Nd: YAG laser can be used for treatment without scarring after surgery, which can achieve better cosmetic results.