What is the treatment for halo nevus

The appearance of a halo nevus is actually the depigmentation of nevus cells, and it looks like the area around the nevus gradually fades to white. Some scientists have pointed out that the appearance of halo nevus has certain similarities with vitiligo, except that halo nevus appear in more specific places and within a smaller range. The treatment of halo nevus is usually done by laser or surgery. Halo nevus can occur in any group of people. The main symptom is the color fading around the mole. The range will not be too large, and there may be light red papules in the middle.

Halo nevus refers to the localized hypopigmentation surrounding a pigmented nevus, after which the nevus itself may fade while the skin lesions continue to develop, also known as centrifugal acquired leukoplakia. The clinical manifestations are skin lesions that often occur on the trunk, especially the back, which may be single or multiple, with round or oval hypopigmented spots centered on a mottled nevus. White halos and pigmented nevus may occur at the same time.

Overview

A depigmented halo appears around a nevus cell nevus, which is mostly a mixed nevus or an intradermal nevus. The peripheral depigmented halo is round or oval with clear boundaries. It often occurs on the trunk of adolescents and is usually single or multiple. It can last for months or years and eventually resolves. There have been reports of giant halo nevus in China[1], with the central nevus measuring 9.0 cm × 4.8 cm and the surrounding white spots measuring 0.4 cm × 1.0 cm. Some patients have circulating anti-melanocyte antibodies in their blood, which disappear as the halo nevus disappears. It is reported that the probability of malignant transformation in patients from adolescence to after the age of 60 is between 0.8% and 4.9%. Immune rejection of melanin may be the cause of the disease.

Halo nevus is medically known as centrifugal acquired leukoplakia. In 1874, a doctor named Hebra first recorded leukoplakia centered on a mole. However, it was not until 1916 that this disease was studied in detail. It is currently generally believed that halo nevus is a type of vitiligo, and sometimes occurs simultaneously with vitiligo.

Halo nevus can occur in the elderly as well as in children. It often occurs on the trunk, especially the back, occasionally on the head and face, and rarely on the upper limbs. The rash is characterized by round or oval hypopigmented spots of varying sizes with a mottled nevus as the center. The white halo is uniform in color and can gradually increase to the size of a coin. The edges of the white halo do not show darker pigmentation like vitiligo. The central mole may fade and appear as just a small reddish papule, eventually flattening or even disappearing. It disappears in about a few months to 2 to 3 years, and then the white halo gradually fades away.

Most halo nevi are centered on pigmented nevi, but occasionally they are hairy nevi, blue nevi, fibromas, neurofibromas or malignant melanomas.

Treatment

Halo nevus is mainly treated with surgery or laser to remove pigmented nevus or smaller white spots. If larger white spots remain after surgery, they are treated as vitiligo.