NEVUS ANEMICUS

Course overview

NEVUS ANEMICUS IS AN UNCOMMON, CONGENITAL VASCULAR MALFORMATION RESULTING IN HYPOPIGMENTED CUTANEOUS MACULES AND/OR PATCHES THAT CHARACTERISTICALLY DO NOT BECOME ERYTHEMATOUS IN RESPONSE TO TRAUMA, HEAT, OR COLD. NEVUS ANEMICUS TYPICALLY PRESENTS AS AN ISOLATED LESION WITH NO OTHER SYSTEMIC MANIFESTATIONS. NEVUS ANEMICUS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF CUTANEOUS BLOOD VESSELS TO CATECHOLAMINES SUCH AS EPINEPHRINE (ADRENALINE) AND NOREPINEPHRINE (NORADRENALINE). THIS HYPERSENSITIVITY RESULTS IN PERMANENT VASOCONSTRICTION LEADING TO HYPOPIGMENTATION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF NEVUS ANEMICUS AND ADDRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM APPROACH TO ITS EVALUATION.