Mongolian spot

Mongolian spot
Mongolian spot
Classification and external resources

Mongolian spot visible on six-month-old Taiwanese baby girl
ICD-10 D22.5 (ILDS D22.505)
ICD-9 757.33 (CDC/BPA 757.386)
DiseasesDB 8342
eMedicine derm/271
MeSH D049328

A Mongolian spot, also known as "Mongolian blue spot," "Congenital dermal melanocytosis,"[1] and "Dermal melanocytosis"[1] is a benign, flat, congenital birthmark with wavy borders and irregular shape, discovered on and named after Mongolians by Erwin Bälz.[2][3] It is also extremely prevalent among East Asians, Polynesians, Native Americans, and East Africans.[4][5] It normally disappears three to five years after birth and almost always by puberty.[6] The most common color is blue, although they can be blue-gray, blue-black or even deep brown.

Contents

Origin

The Mongolian spot is a congenital developmental condition exclusively involving the skin. The blue colour is caused by melanocytes, melanin-containing cells, that are deep under the skin. [5] Usually, as multiple spots or one large patch, it covers one or more of the lumbosacral area (lower back), the buttocks, flanks, and shoulders.[5] It results from the entrapment of melanocytes in the lower half to two-thirds of the dermis during their migration from the neural crest to the epidermis during embryonic development.[5]

The condition is unrelated to gender; male and female infants are equally predisposed to Mongolian spot. The spots are harmless.

Among those who are not aware of the background of the Mongolian spots, it may sometimes be mistaken for a bruise, possibly resulting in unfounded concerns about abuse.[7]

Prevalence

Rough estimates are that the Mongolian spots are most prevalent among infants of East Asian groups. Infants may be born with one or more Mongolian spots ranging from small area on the buttocks to a larger area on the back. They also occur in about 90-95% and about 80-85% of East African and Native American infants, respectively.[4] Approximately 90% of Polynesians and Micronesians are born with Mongolian spots, as are about 46% of Latin American children (those who have some sort of Native American ancestry).[8] These spots also appear on 1-10% of babies of full Caucasian descent.[4]

Cultural references

The Mongolian spot is referred to in the Japanese idiom shiri ga aoi (尻が青い), meaning "to have a blue butt." [9][10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. pp. 1720. ISBN 1-4160-2999-0. 
  2. ^ Die koerperlichen Eigenschaften der Japaner.(1885) Baelz.E. Mittheil.d.deusch Gesell.f.Natur-u-Voelkerheilkunde Ostasiens. Bd.4.H.32
  3. ^ Circumscribed dermal melanosis (Mongolian spot)(1981) Kikuchi I, Inoue S. in "Biology and Diseases of Dermal Pigmentation", University of Tokyo Press , p83
  4. ^ a b c About Mongolian Spot
  5. ^ a b c d Mongolian blue spots - Health care guide discussing the Mongolian blue spot.
  6. ^ Mongolian Spot DrGreen.com
  7. ^ Mongolian Spot - English information of Mongolian spot, written by Hironao NUMABE, M.D., Tokyo Medical University.
  8. ^ Epidemiology of Mongolian spot on MedScape
  9. ^ (Japanese)
  10. ^ "The butt is blue": the untold story, Language Log, October 15, 2008 @ 3:14 pm; comment of October 16, 2008 @ 11:39 am

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mongolian spot — n a bluish pigmented area near the base of the spine that is present at birth esp. in Asian, southern European, American Indian, and black infants and that usu. disappears during childhood called also blue spot, Mongol spot * * * a congenital… …   Medical dictionary

  • Mongolian spot — /mɒŋˈgoʊliən spɒt/ (say mong gohleeuhn spot) noun a bluish black, bruise like birthmark usually on the buttocks and lower back, common in babies of Asian, southern European, African and Polynesian descent, usually fading within two years. Also,… …  

  • mongolian spot — noun or mongol spot Usage: often capitalized M : blue spot …   Useful english dictionary

  • Mongolian spot — noun see blue spot …   Useful english dictionary

  • spot — 1. SYN: macula. 2. To lose a slight amount of blood through the vagina. acoustic spots macula of utricle, macula of saccule. Bitot spots small, circumscribed, lusterless, grayish white, foamy, greasy, triangular deposits on the bulbar …   Medical dictionary

  • mongolian macula — see under spot …   Medical dictionary

  • blue spot — n MONGOLIAN SPOT * * * 1. (in the pl.) maculae ceruleae. 2. mongolian s …   Medical dictionary

  • Mongol spot — n MONGOLIAN SPOT …   Medical dictionary

  • blue spot — noun : a bluish pigmented area near the base of the spine present at birth especially in infants of Mongoloid ancestry called also Mongolian spot …   Useful english dictionary

  • mongol spot — noun see mongolian spot …   Useful english dictionary

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