Nevus of Ota is a

hyperpigmentation Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of an area of skin or nails caused by increased melanin. Causes Hyperpigmentation can be caused by sun damage, inflammation, or other skin injuries, including those related to acne vulgaris.James, William; Ber ...

that occurs on the face, most often appearing on the white of the eye. It also occurs on the forehead, nose, cheek, periorbital region, and temple. It was first reported by Masao Ōta of Japan in 1939.

Cause

Nevus of Ota is caused by the entrapment of

melanocytes Melanocytes are melanin-producing neural crest-derived cells located in the bottom layer (the stratum basale) of the skin's epidermis, the middle layer of the eye (the uvea), the inner ear, vaginal epithelium, meninges, bones, and heart. ...

in the upper third of the dermis. It is found only on the face, most commonly unilaterally, rarely bilaterally and involves the first two branches of the

trigeminal In neuroanatomy, the trigeminal nerve ( lit. ''triplet'' nerve), also known as the fifth cranial nerve, cranial nerve V, or simply CN V, is a cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as biting and chewing; ...

nerve. The

sclera The sclera, also known as the white of the eye or, in older literature, as the tunica albuginea oculi, is the opaque, fibrous, protective, outer layer of the human eye containing mainly collagen and some crucial elastic fiber. In humans, and som ...

is involved in two-thirds of cases (causing an increased risk of

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

). It should not be confused with

Mongolian spot A Mongolian spot, also known as slate grey nevus or congenital dermal melanocytosis, is a benign, flat, congenital birthmark with wavy borders and an irregular shape. In 1883, it was described and named after Mongolians by Erwin Bälz, a German a ...

, which is a birthmark caused by entrapment of melanocytes in the dermis but is located in the

lumbosacral The vertebral column, also known as the backbone or spine, is part of the axial skeleton. The vertebral column is the defining characteristic of a vertebrate in which the notochord (a flexible rod of uniform composition) found in all chordates ...

region. Women are nearly five times more likely to be affected than men, and it is rare among

Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...

people. Nevus of Ota may not be

congenital A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

, and may appear during

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy. ...

Skin treatment

A Q-switched 1064 nm laser has been successfully used to treat the condition. The Q-switched lasers (694 nm

ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sa ...

, 755 nm Alexandrite or 1064 nm

Nd-YAG Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet; Nd:Y3Al5O12) is a crystal that is used as a Active laser medium, lasing medium for solid-state lasers. The dopant, triply ionized neodymium, Nd(III), typically replaces a small fraction (1%) of th ...

) with their high peak power and pulse width in nano second range are best suited to treat various epidermal, junctional, mixed and dermal lesions. The Q-switched 1064 nm Nd-YAG is an ideal choice to treat dermal pigment as in nevus of Ota and in darker skin types, as it reduces the risk of epidermal injury and pigmentary alterations. The pigment clearance can be expected to be near total, using multiple treatment sessions, each separated by a minimum of six weeks. The number of treatments required depends on the severity of the lesion. A darker lesion needs more treatments. The outcome also depends to some extent on the power output and quality of the laser system. Last but not least, the skill of the laser surgeon plays a role in achieving early and good clearance.

Treatment

A specific form of conjunctivoplasty may help somewhat.

Notable cases

* Actress

Daniela Ruah Daniela Sofia Korn Ruah (born December 2, 1983) is an American-Portuguese actress and film director best known for playing NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye in the CBS police procedural series '' NCIS: Los Angeles''. Early life Ruah was born in Bo ...

of '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', right eye * Actor

Eriq La Salle Erik Ki La Salle (born July 23, 1962), professionally known as Eriq La Salle, is an American actor, director, writer and producer. La Salle is best known for his performance in the film ''Coming to America'' (1988) and especially as Dr. Pete ...

of '' ER'', left eye

References

{{Skin tumors, nevi and melanomas Melanocytic nevi and neoplasms Cutaneous congenital anomalies Eye color

Cause

Skin treatment

Treatment

Notable cases

See also

References