Nevus of Ota is a benign dermal melanocytosis, that involves facial skin as a macular discoloration, appearing as blotchy blue to blue gray.
Ota’s nevus is mongolian spot-like macular blue-black or gray-brown patchy pigmentation that most commonly occurs in areas innervated by the first and second division of the trigeminal nerve.
Acquired, bilateral nevus of Ota-like macules (ABNOM) is located bilaterally on the face, appears later in life, is blue-brown or slate-gray in color. It is not accompanied by macules on the ocular and mucosal membranes. There is also debate as to whether ABNOM is part of the Ota’s nevus spectrum.
Nevus of Ota involves the upper portion of the face, especially over the periorbital area. It also involves ocular structures such as episclera, sclera, conjunctiva, cornea, retina, uveal tract and also nasopharynx, auricular mucosa, tymphanic membrane and dura. Glaucoma and malignant melanoma are the two known ocular complications in patients with Nevus of Ota. 12-18% of these patients exhibits palatal pigmentation.
Nevus of Ota can cause facial disfigurement, resulting in emotional and psychologic distress. In rare cases, melanoma, which can be life threatening, has been reported to arise from nevus of Ota. Glaucoma also has been associated with nevus of Ota.
Epidemiology
0.2% to 1% in the Japanese population
congenital or acquired during adolescence
Associations
scleral melanocytosis
lesions of the tympanic membrane, oral and intranasal mucosa and leptomeninges
open-angle glaucomas
melanoma
nevus of Ito
phakomatosis pigmentovascularis
nevus flammeus
Sturge-Weber syndrome
neurofibromatosis
leptomeningeal melanosis
ipsilateral intracranial meningeal melanocytoma (11883852)
malignant melanoma (skin, meninges, ocular tissues)
ocular anomalies (ocular acuity normal)
- pigmentation of the sclera, cornea, retina, and optic disc
- cavernous hemangiomas of the optic disc
- elevated intraocular pressure
- glaucoma (10.3%)
- ocular melanoma
History
The naevus of Ota (naevus fusculocoeruleus ophthalmomaxillaris) was first described by the Japanese dermatologist M. T. Ota in 1939.
See also