The surgical challenge of giant circumferential congenital naevi of the extremities: a 13-year follow-up of two cases

The surgical management of giant congenital melanocytic naevi involving extremities in a circumferential pattern may represent a surgical challenge with respect to their resection and subsequent reconstructive options. We present our experience in the management of circumferential giant congenital melanocytic naevi involving the upper limb in one patient and lower limb in another one. They were managed and followed up for 13 years. The lesion regenerated following dermabrasion in the first patient and regenerated following tangential excision and split-thickness skin graft in both patients. Therefore, another approach was used, full-thickness resection of the lesions and reconstruction with dermal regeneration template (Integra™), followed by ultrathin split-thickness skin graft. The last approach resulted in no recurrence during a 3-year follow-up. The complexity of these lesions and the limitation of different surgical approaches have been highlighted. Full-thickness excision of the affected integument and the use of dermal regeneration template is a useful technique which can be considered in the management of circumferential giant melanocytic naevi, particularly when other established methods have failed to provide satisfactory results.