Mongolian spot

The "Mongolian spot", also known as a slate grey nevus or congenital dermal melanocytosis, is a benign (non-harmful) birthmark, usually bluish-grey in color, that appears on the backs of some newborn babies. It normally completely disappears at the age of 12-14 months. It is usually smaller than a penny in diameter. The blue colour is caused by melanocytes, melanin-containing cells, that are usually located in the surface of the skin (the epidermis), but are in the deeper region (the dermis) in the location of the spot. The name was given due to the fact that it was first discovered in Mongolian children. In fact, it is found not only in people of East Asian or Native American descent (once called the “Mongoloid race”), but also in people of other ethnicities. These spots are found in 90% of Asian children. The "Mongolian spot" is also observed in the peoples of Europe. An example of this are the Roma people.

References

Category:Medical signs