"Sky Full of Stars" Pattern: Dermoscopic Findings in a Desmoplastic Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevus

Pediatr Dermatol. 2017 May;34(3):e142-e143. doi: 10.1111/pde.13099. Epub 2017 Feb 27.

Abstract

Desmoplastic giant congenital melanocytic nevus (DGCN) is an uncommon variant of congenital nevus, presenting as a progressive induration and hypopigmentation of the lesion that occasionally causes hair loss and even total or partial disappearance of the nevus. A 6-month-old girl with a giant congenital melanocytic nevus that involved the entire posterior side of the right thigh was seen in our department. Nine months later, the peripheral area of the nevus presented as a marked induration with hypopigmentation. Dermoscopy demonstrated a reticular pattern exclusively located in the perifollicular areas, with a radial distribution from the follicular ostium that mimicked a "sky full of stars." We report a case of DGCN, including a dermoscopic description of the findings noted in the indurated and hypopigmented areas that appear as a "sky full of stars" image.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Dermoscopy / methods*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypopigmentation / diagnosis
  • Hypopigmentation / pathology*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Infant
  • Melanoma / diagnosis
  • Melanoma / pathology*
  • Monitoring, Physiologic
  • Nevus, Pigmented / diagnosis
  • Nevus, Pigmented / pathology*
  • Precancerous Conditions / pathology*
  • Rare Diseases
  • Risk Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Skin Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*

Supplementary concepts

  • Melanocytic nevus syndrome, congenital