Staged management of a congenital nevus of the breast and abdomen presenting in a female infant.

The management of congenital melanocytic nevi is controversial. The authors describe their management of a congenital nevus covering the breast and abdomen of a one-month-old girl over a 16-year period. To prevent damage to the developing breast, a staged approach was used. The nevus over the abdomen was resected first at six years of age and the remaining portion was removed after breast development was complete at 16 years of age. The breast defect was resurfaced with a full thickness skin graft from the groin. The patient was pleased with the postoperative result. This staged approach allowed an optimized aesthetic result.