hello,
my baby is now 1 year old and he was born with a birth mark on the right side of his head. it is at the outer most part of the curve, kinda along the temple line but back in the hair. it is about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch tall. it is slightly raised and no hair will grow on it. it is also bright orange in color. it does grow, but it grows with the size of his head, not on it's own. the doctor says it is a "nevis johanson" (i have no idea if that is spelled right) the doc says that there is nothing to worry about now, but he will have to have it removed before puberty or there is a very slight (like .02%) that it could become malignant. the only thing i have found on the net is birth marks called "stork bites" but i do not believe it is the same thing as they only have the color in common.

i am a little frustrated because i can't find any info. please let me know if any of you know more about this. thanks.

Hi! My daughte has a strawberry hemangioma on her nose, so I've already had to do all of the frantic searching. The "johansons" bit probably has more to do with the location of the brithmark rather than the type. Here's what I found for you:

Congenital nevi (moles present at birth) have an increased risk of becoming skin cancer (malignant melanoma). This is especially true if the nevus covers a large area of the body (larger than a fist). All congenital nevi should be examined by a health care provider and any change in the birthmark should be reported. Watch for changes in the size or color, or the appearance of sudden ulceration, bleeding, or itching in the birthmark.
Congenital nevi are common birthmarks, found in about one percent of newborns. Those smaller than ¾ inch in diameter are called small nevi. Those larger than 7.5 inches in diameter are called giant nevi.
Danger signs that melanoma may be developing in a mole include rapid growth, crusting, bleeding, ulcers, and color changes. Malignant melanoma often has irregular borders and irregular coloring (with different shades of red or blue mixed in haphazardly with black, white, and/or brown).

It's not alot but I hope it helps!

thanks so much, but the thing is it isn't a mole. it is very flat, only slightly raised and looks much like some one spilled a drop of peach paint on the side of his head. it looks more like new zeland on a map than a mole. can you picture what i am saying? thanks again for your efforts.

Shoot. I found an article about something exactly like that. I'll see if I can find it again!

thanks, that would be sooooooo great!!!!

Found in fewer than 1% of newborns, port-wine stains (nevus flammeus), are vascular malformations composed of dilated capillaries in the upper and lower layers of the skin of the face, neck, arms, and legs. Often permanent, these flat pink to red marks develop into dark purple bumpy areas in later life; 85% appear on only one side of the body.
Salmon patches. These symptomless, light red-to-pink marks usually fade with time.
The second main type of birthmark is the pigmented birthmark, popularly known as the café-au-lait patch for its tan-brown color. Unlike hemangiomas, these are composed of abnormal clusters of pigmented cells and not clusters of blood vessels (1). The pigment melanin is observed to play a role in the formation of this type of nevus. (3). Pigmented skin lesions are permanent and most often found on the torso. Moles are the most common of this form of birthmarks. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and have a life cycle of about 50 years. Some are macules (flat spots), while some are conical elevated lesions or papules (6). Others such as Becker's nevus which is more commonly found in males is a pigmented nevus with hypertrichosis (multiple terminal hairs growing on it) (6). Most moles are harmless and rarely pose any health risk. However, the actual risk associated with a specific nevus is still unclear. Therefore, it is feasible to get moles regularly observed and checked by a doctor, if they are particularly large, there is a sudden color change, they bleed, or become ulcerous (3).
A pigmented nevus present at birth such as a congenital melanocystic nevus and nevus sebaceous has a high risk of developing in to malignant melanoma (skin cancer) compared to other forms of pigmented birthmarks (1). Commonly located on the scalp they will develop into rougher, verrucous papules with time and must be medically observed regularly to check for any malignant tumors within the lesion

Am I getting close yet?

A pigmented nevus present at birth such as a congenital melanocystic nevus and nevus sebaceous has a high risk of developing in to malignant melanoma (skin cancer) compared to other forms of pigmented birthmarks (1). Commonly located on the scalp they will develop into rougher, verrucous papules with time and must be medically observed regularly to check for any malignant tumors within the lesion


yeah the location sounds right, but the doc said it was a .02% chance it could be dangerous if we didn't have it removed berfore pubery. i guess that is higher than a regular birthmark. i just put a call into my doc to get the exact name. i know searching on the net can be a bad thing as so much is out there to look at with out a medical professional telling you if you are looking at the right thing. it still sounds pretty scary! :eek:

This birthmark is a strange linear patch of slightly raised, yellowish colored little plaques perhaps 1/2-1 mm in diameter. I seem to see these mainly on the face or scalp. This birthmark is important because it has some malignant potential in adult life and needs to be removed at least by the late teens or early twenties; I have been told between 9-11 years is usually the best time, because the child can tolerate having it removed under local anesthesia. There is no cause for concern in childhood other than to note it should be watched and eventually removed.

is is a nevus sebaceous, but one of the peds said "joddhansson" or something which is a little different. i will find out soon i guess.

thanks for that, i found exactly what i needed to.