Neonatal Curettage of Large to Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevi Under Local Anesthetic: A Case Series With Long-Term Follow Up

BACKGROUND: Neonatal curettage of large to giant congenital melanocytic nevi (L-GCMN) is a simple, minimally invasive procedure typically performed within the first 2 weeks of life. OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively review our experience with serial curettage of L-GCMN in the neonatal period performed under local anesthesia and their long-term outcomes. METHODS: Curettage was performed by a single pediatric dermatologist on nine neonates with L-GCMN under local anesthetic and with oral analgesia between 2002 and 2016 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Patient charts were reviewed retrospectively to assess patient and procedure characteristics, tolerability, safety, cosmetic and functional outcomes, and malignant transformation. RESULTS: Patients were treated with an average of 6 curettage sessions (range 3 to 15) to remove the majority or entirety of the nevus. All patients tolerated local anesthesia well. The most common adverse event of the procedure was transient neutropenia. Two patients developed positive bacterial cultures without clinical signs of infection, treated with antibiotics. All curetted specimens demonstrated benign pathology. Patients were followed annually thereafter, for an average of 6 years. Eight patients with L-GCMN of the trunk had minimal to partial repigmentation with good cosmetic outcome. One patient had recurrence of a facial nevus. None of the patients developed cutaneous malignant melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: Curettage appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for select cases of L-GCMNs of the trunk. We do not recommend the procedure for face or scalp CMN. This procedure can be performed under local anesthesia with serial curettage to avoid potential risks of general anesthesia.