UAE: Baby born with large dark spots on skin receives first treatment for rare disease – News

Patient was born with a huge mole covering almost 20% of her upper body

In a medical breakthrough, a team of doctors in Dubai has successfully treated a newborn baby with a giant mole – a rare skin condition that affects only one in half a million people worldwide. This is the first operation of its kind in Dubai and marks a major milestone for the country’s healthcare industry.

The patient was born with a large mole covering almost 20% of her upper body. Her parents worried about the disease she was born with.

After consulting with several doctors, they were referred to the multidisciplinary team of doctors and surgeons at the Saudi German Hospital in Dubai, which specializes in skin diseases. Parents are worried that it may turn into malignant melanoma, which will affect the child’s psychological development and even affect aesthetics.

After intensive multidisciplinary consultations in pediatrics, dermatology, plastic surgery, and anesthesiology, detailed discussions with parents, and consultation with other pediatric hospitals, the parents decided to undergo surgery first. A team of doctors develops a comprehensive treatment plan involving multiple treatments.

“The best way to treat giant moles is to remove them. For limited sizes, this is done in the first year of life. For treatment of larger changes, there is a unique option of The superficial skin layer is removed within a week with most of the changed skin cells,” says Professor Robert Hierner, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Dubai.

Superficial skin ablation is a treatment that involves the removal of thin layers of skin using a variety of techniques, including lasers, chemicals, or surgical instruments.

During ablation, the targeted skin area is numb with a local anesthetic to minimize pain and discomfort. Then, a special device or tool removes the outermost layer of skin, which contains dead cells, debris, and other unwanted material.

This is a unique condition because the skin is not fully mature at birth. 2 – 6 weeks after birth, brown pigmented cells (melanocytes) descend to their normal location in the lower dermis, or even the upper part of the subcutaneous tissue. Therefore, the procedure should be performed as early as possible, Dr. Hierner said.

The doctor further said that most of the pigment cells can be removed within six weeks because they are still on the surface, and the cells move to deeper places, after which they cannot be removed.

The operation was successful and there were no complications in the postoperative period. Dr. Younis and his unparalleled nursing team made tremendous contributions to the neonatal anesthesia and follow-up care team in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. One week after the operation, the child was discharged from the hospital.

The team of doctors who treated this patient now hope to use their expertise to help other patients with similar skin conditions. They believe that the success of this procedure will inspire other doctors and medical professionals in Dubai to push the boundaries of what is possible in healthcare.