Life-threatening blood loss from scratching provoked by pruritus in the bulky perineal nevocytoma variant of giant congenital melanocytic nevus in a child.

Feng, Jing; Sethi, Aisha; Reyes-Múgica, Miguel; Antaya, Richard · J Am Acad Dermatol · 2005

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

We describe a 3-year-old girl with intractable, debilitating pruritus associated with a giant congenital melanocytic nevus, resulting in life-threatening anemia from extensive bleeding skin excoriations. Multiple conventional oral and topical antipruritic medications failed to provide relief, but the patient was successfully treated with the selective serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 inhibitor ondansetron, suggesting a serotonin-related mechanism to her pruritus.

Medical subject headings