Congenital and congenital-type nail matrix nevi (NMN) have clinical and dermatoscopic features similar to those observed in adult subungual melanoma, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Association of Dermatology .

Félix Pham, M.D., from Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud in France, and colleagues describe the initial clinical and dermatoscopic features of NMN appearing at birth or after birth but before age 5 years (congenital and congenital-type, respectively) using data collected from 102 hospitals or private medical offices across 30 countries from 2009 to 2019.

The researchers identified 69 congenital and 161 congenital-type NMNs. An irregular pattern of longitudinal microlines (64 percent) was displayed by congenital and congenital-type NMN, reminiscent of subungual melanoma in adults. The distal fibrillar pattern was present in 27.8 percent of patients, which was encountered more frequently in congenital than in congenital-type NMN. Compared with congenital-type NMN, congenital NMN more frequently displayed a periungual pigmentation and Hutchinson's sign.

"Further studies of the cohort will focus on the evolutive characteristics of these lesions and hopefully will help us to better define management guidelines," the authors write.

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