title: Coexistence of giant blue nevus of the scalp with hair loss and alopecia areata.
abstract: A 43-year-old Japanese man presented with a 13-year history of a grayish macule measuring 7 cm in diameter with sparse hairs on the vertex. Histopathological examination demonstrated two types of melanocytes, spindle-shaped and ovoid cells, with abundant melanin aggregated around the upper part of the pilosebaceous apparatus. Fibrous, thick collagen bundles were also seen surrounding the upper part of the small hair follicles. There was no infiltration of melanocytes or lymphocytes in the lower dermis or adipose tissue. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of blue nevus, cellular type, was made. Giant cellular blue nevi on the scalp are rare, and 11 cases reported in the published work have shown characteristic features such as hair loss and cranial invasion of nevus cells. It should be noted that melanocytes of giant blue nevi have a high potential to damage other organs such as underlying bone and hair follicles. The patient also showed a typical lesion of alopecia areata on the left temporal which was successfully treated with topical corticosteroid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima City, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeichi
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murao
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansai
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arase
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018329:Nevus, Blue / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D012535:Scalp; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed