Spontaneous Re-pigmentation of Vitiligo Following Excision of Halo Congenital Melanocytic nevi: An Interesting Case Report

ABSTRACT

Summary@#Halo nevi (HN) are benign skin lesion that represent melanocytic nevi in which an inflammatory infiltrate develops, resulting in zone of depigmentation around nevus. Although Sutton originally described the lesion in 1916 as leukoderma acquista centrifugum, the lesions were noted earlier as evidenced in the painting by Matthias Grunwald cica 1512-1516. The prevalence of HNs in the general population is 1%, and HNs usually appear in childhood or early adulthood. Up to 26% of patients with HN have vitiligo, but in very few instances is there an association of HN around congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) and vitiligo. The exact mechanisms responsible for the development of vitiligo and HN and its resolution are unknown. One of the most accepted hypotheses considers that both phenomena are a result of a self-limited immunologic response to pigmented cells, either in the “normal” skin or within the melanocytic lesion. Hereby we present a rare case report of a girl with halo CMN and infraorbital vitiligo. The halo CMN was excised which was followed by spontaneous improvement of vitiligo.