Type VII Aplasia Cutis Congenita in Neonates Related to Maternal HBV Infection? Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare disease with an unclear pathogenic mechanism. ACC has been suggested to result from the disrupted development or degeneration of skin in the uterus. This study describes two cases that may have underlying pathogenic cause that have not been previously reported. Two neonates who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit due to “skin lesions on the limbs” without other deformities or complications were diagnosed with type VII ACC by dermatologist. The mothers showed positivity for hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen and elevated level of HBV DNA copies, which may be related to ACC. But this association could be a coincidence. Both neonates were treated with antibacterial dressings and achieved satisfactory healing.

Keywords:

• aplasia cutis congenita
• case report
• hepatitis B virus
• newborn
• skin defect

Institutional Review Board Statement

The Institutional Review Board of the Science and International Communication Department of Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University provided approval for this study (IRB No. KYGJ-001-20200412-130).

Data Sharing Statement

The authors confirm that all data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

Patient Informed Consent

Informed consents for article publication of the case details including publication of the images were obtained from the mothers of the 2 patients.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the children’s families for their participation in the study.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received for this study.