• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Bathing trunk nevus

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment

Definition:

A bathing trunk nevus is a dark colored, often hairy patch of skin present at birth, which may cover an extremely large area of the body. Sometimes the disfiguration covers most of the middle of the body, the upper arms, and thighs.

Alternative Names:

Congenital giant pigmented nevus; Giant hairy nevus

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Bathing trunk nevi are thought to be caused by defects or problems that occur as a baby grows in the womb. But, in some families, the frequent appearance of the condition suggests that bathing trunk nevus may be inherited.

Bathing trunk nevus may be associated with other birth defects.

The skin may vary from smooth to wart-like, and the color can range from brown to bluish black. Bathing trunk nevi may cause emotional problems because of their appearance.

Bathing trunk nevi can develop into melanoma (a type of skin cancer). The risk is thought to be between 3-7%.

• Review Date: 10/26/2006
• Reviewed By: Michael S. Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.