ABSTRACT
During the last 10 years, we have experienced 169 cases of congenital melanocytic nevi of the face at Seoul National University Children's Hospital. In these patients, various modalities of treatment have been used, including excision, staged excision, skin graft, local flap, and composite graft. Dermabrasion, electrocoagulation, and laser therapy were excluded because these were not definitive treatments. We reviewed over 169 cases based on the involved on the aesthetic units of the face and the length of the defect perpendicular to wrinkle lines. We have attempted to create a stadard for the selection of the appropriate treatment modality. Cases which involved orbital unit(38 cases), cheek(30 cases), and parotid-masseteric unit(18 cases) were analysed statistically. To avoid the statistical error, units of sufficient number of cases and involving only one unit were included. In each unit, we used Receiver Operator Characteristic Method to identify the turning points of the length of the defect perpendicular RSTL which decided the treatment modality. And we used t-test to show the statistical difference between the lengths of the defect perpendicular to RTSL in each modality. The turning point were 0.9-1.0 cm between excision/staged excision, 2.0 cm between staged excision/FTSG, in orbital unit, 1.3 cm between excision/staged excision in cheek unit, 1.6-1.9 cm between excision/staged excision in parotid-masseteric unit. And it was identified by ANOVA test and t-test that the above groups were statistically different. Till now, the treatment modality of the congenital melanocytic nevus was based on the experiences of the surgeon. But now, we have presented the stadard of the treatment according to the size in each aesthetic unit. Therefore we can choose the approproate treatment modality among the severals in accordance with the standards.