Halo Nevus

Definition

A halo nevus is nothing; it is a mole that is found pink or brown colours surrounded by an area of white or light skin. Halo nevi develop spontaneously, usually in adolescence, on the trunk, but sometimes on the palms and soles. It is not necessary that a person can have just one halo nevus; it may be one or several halo nevi on a person. Moles typically evolve and grow as we do. They generally begin as flat brown spots, similar to a freckle. After few months or year they may grow larger, become elevated, and grow hairs.

It usually affects young people. Although it is not contagious but it signals that something is wrong with the skin.

Causes

Halo Nevus occurs when the immune cells attack a mole for unknown reasons. It may also be seen in people with vitiligo or patients suffering from malignant melanoma. A mole may be caused by sunburn which damage the mole and cause it to be recognized by the body as foreign.

Sometimes halo moles are triggered by sunburn which damages the mole and causes it to be recognized by the body as foreign

If you have a mole that is asymmetrical, has an irregular border, has multiple colors, is larger than a pencil eraser, or has appeared after the age of 20, it would be wise to see a dermatologist to ensure the mole is not cancerous.

Moles also become larger or darker during pregnancy, especially on the face, nipples, external genitalia, armpits, and thighs. Medical scientists believe that hormonal changes may be responsible for this increased pigmentation.

Symptoms

• Pigment is absent from the hair, skin, or iris of eyes that is change in color is observed.
• Patchy absence of pigment, including in the affected child from the mother with X-linked recessive albinism.
• There may be a lighter than normal skin and hair or complete albinism
• Functional blindness
• Person avoids light as he feels discomfort.
• The patient has rapid eye movements.

Treatment

If you have a halo mole, go to your dermatologist or doctor to check it. Halos can be seen as part of a more generalised pigment loss, vitiligo, or in melanoma.

The chief diagnostic consideration in patients with halo nevi is melanoma that is undergoing regression, although making this distinction is not usually difficult. Patients should be taught self-examination to detect changes in existing moles and to recognize clinical features of melanomas.

Moles with an elevated surface typically are removed cosmetically by a process called shave excision. This involves numbing the area around the mole and removing the top portion of it so it is flush with the surrounding skin.