Highlights
- •Surgery is a safe treatment for GCMN.
- •Expanded skin flaps are the most optimal surgical option in most cases.
- •Surgeons, patients, and caregivers agree that surgical treatment should begin in the first months of life.
- •Surgical treatment has a low impact on QoL.
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes, complications and psychosocial
impact of surgical treatment of giant congenital melanocytic nevus (GCMN).
Methods: Patients with surgically treated GCMN who attended our clinic between May 2014 and
May 2018 were included. Patient demographics and data on the characteristics of the
nevus, surgical treatment, and the psychosocial impact (including C-DLQI/DLQI questionnaires)
were collected.
Results: One hundred thirty-six patients were included (median age 9 years). Mean age at first
surgery was 34 (+/- 61.45) months; 5.53 (+/- 3.69) surgical interventions were necessary
to completely excise the nevus. The expanded skin flap was the preferred surgical
technique in most locations. Complications were common but not severe. Of the patients
studied, 70.4% reported that the surgery had a minor impact on their quality of life
(QoL). Patients and caregivers stated that surgical treatment should begin as soon
as possible, even in cases where early treatment did not have an impact on their QoL
nor on their satisfaction with the surgery (p < 0.05). The lower the patient age at first surgery, the higher the surgeon's satisfaction
(p < 0.01).
Conclusions: Surgical treatment is a safe option for management of GCMN, and has a low impact
on QoL. Patients, caregivers, and surgeons agree that the treatment should begin as
soon as possible. This is the largest single-center study evaluating surgical treatment
in GCMN patients and its psychosocial impact, and the first to take into account the
patient, caregivers and dermatologists opinion of surgical results.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 07, 2021
Accepted:
December 23,
2020
Received in revised form:
November 24,
2020
Received:
October 14,
2020
Identification
Copyright
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