[Surgical treatment for giant congenital nevi: what are the psychosocial consequences for the child and family?].

Giant congenital nevus is a rare pathology. The incidence of malignant transformation exists and his unsightly aspect requires a early surgical treatment. All techniques of plastic surgery must have to be used. The management of the skin capital is a real surgical challenge with complications which are difficult to bear psychologically and physically for these young children. Authors present psychosocial effects of this pathology then surgical practice through 105 cases analysed. The majority of the patients had axial disposition of the nevus (head and trunk) and tissue expansion was the most utilised technique. A questionnaire estimated the notion of other's looking, congenital deformity's acceptance, surgical story's transmission, family's opinion of the surgical treatment. More than the half of families feel that their child was cast-off because of deformity. A lot of family would forget the nevus and never photographed their child with nevus. Sometimes, children could not explain their scars. Despite many hospitalisations, all the children have normal schooling and extra-school activities. It's important to begin surgical plan very early so that child could integrate their scars in their corporal schema.