Abstract
We describe our findings in a series of 12 patients with large congenital melanocytic naevi treated with dermabrasion between the first and fourteenth week of life. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 1-16 years. In all but two cases dermabrasion resulted in an appreciable and stable reduction of the hyperpigmentation, possibly by reducing the number of pigmented cells in the epidermis. In six of our 12 patients, reconstruction using grafts and flaps was done to improve the aesthetic result. Seven years after dermabrasion, one patient developed a minimal deviation melanoma in the treated area, but his subsequent clinical course has been uneventful.