Treatment of a Giant Pigmented Nevus using an Alloderm: A Case Report

ABSTRACT

Because a giant pigmented nevus has the risk of malignant transformation to malignant malanoma, early surgical excision is recommended. There have been various types of surgical methods in a giant pigmented nevus, for example dermabrasion, staged excision, skin graft, local flap and tissue expander. The authors have used an alloderm combined with a very thin split thickness skin graft in the treatment of a giant pigmented nevus. Among the 3 patients we operated in 1999, we could not find a significant cosmetic difference compaired with the conventional split thickness skin graft. Our method with the use of an alloderm combined with a very thin split thickness skin graft would be considerable in the treatment of a giant pigmented nevus, because it shows less visible scars in donor site than conventional split thickness skin graft. Moreover, we could harvest skin graft from the same site twice or more times.