Becker's Nevus: A Symptomatic Presentation of a Rare Syndrome

About

Becker's nevus, also known as Becker melanosis.
A study of 19,302 men aged 17 to 26 years revealed a 0.52% prevalence of Becker melanosis. Males are more commonly affected (male-to-female ratio: 5:1). [4]
- Self Diagnosable
- Treatment Option Available
- Imaging And Tests May be Required
Becker's nevus is a characteristic of a rare syndrome known as Becker's nevus syndrome. It is a non-cancerous, large, brown birthmark occurring mostly in males and also in females around puberty.[3,1]

Symptoms

Self Diagnosable: Can be seen as cutaneous hematoma with hyperpigmentation and excessive hair growth. Can be diagnosed by skin biopsy, immunohistochemical and histopathological studies as well as measurement of dermal nerve fibre.
Areas where Becker's nevus Develops: Develops around puberty on the shoulder or upper trunk. It is sometimes present from birth.
Progressive: Nevus often darkens after puberty and expands with the growth of hair in the surrounding skin. In some cases, acne develops within the nevus. [1,2, 5]
Management
Self-Care: Sun protection is advised in the management of Becker’s nevus as sun exposure might make the lesions appear darker.
Medicines: Acneiform lesions have been found to respond to topical retinoids.
Other Therapies:

Other treatment strategies include the following:

- The hyperpigmentation and the hypertrichosis respond to lasers. However, laser treatment is seen to be associated with a high rate of recurrence.
- Hypertrichotic lesions have been reported to respond to combinations of fractional lasers hair removal lasers.
- Electrolysis has also been reported to be effective in treating the hypertrichosis associated with Becker melanosis.
- In patients with associated breast hypoplasia, a novel yet effective treatment is breast lipofilling.
- Cosmetic camouflage can be useful in addressing the psychosocial issues and quality of life in patients who have lesions in relatively exposed areas. [5]
Specialists: For other concerns, consult a dermatologist. At mfine, we can provide you with a holistic information about the symptoms and treatment plan for your optimum health in any disease condition .