[Verrucous epidermal nevus of the face]

Abstract

The authors report a case of extensive verrucous epidermal naevus of the face in a 15 year old Senegalese boy. This is the second reported case in Western Africa following the case presented to the French Language African Medical Society in 1984 (B. Ndiaye). The skin lesion in the form of a naevus of variable dimensions is an essential manifestation of the epidermal naevus syndrome described by Solomon, Fretzin and Dewald in 1968. This syndrome consists of a variable but inconstant association of dysembryoplastic abnormalities affecting the central nervous system (epilepsy, mental retardation, hydrocephalus, localized central deficits), the eye (fibrous conjunctival tumours, corneal opacities, colobomas) and the bones (spine, clavicle, pelvis, limb bones). The bones may be affected by malformations or hypoplasia. The epidermal naevus generally has a linear verrucous appearance, but it is not exceptional to find Jadassohn's sebaceous naevus or even localized erythroderma ichthyosiformis. Mucosal lesions, especially oral, well described in 1960 by Brown and Gorlin, correspond to a particular localization of epidermal naevus and must be differentiated histologically from white sponge naevus, which has a fairly similar clinical appearance. This non-hereditary disease must be systematically investigated looking for visceral abnormalities which are very common. Lastly, in terms of therapy, surgery may be justified when the facial lesions are unsightly, extensive or disabling. Various techniques may be applied depending on the extent and the site of these naevi.