Nevus of Ota is a

hyperpigmentation Hyperpigmentation, also known as the dark spots or circles on the skin, is the darkening of an area of Human skin, skin or nail (anatomy), nails caused by increased melanin. Causes Hyperpigmentation can be caused by sun damage, inflammation, or ...

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 hea ...

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 eye containing mainly collagen and some crucial elastic fiber. In the development of t ...

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

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to damage of the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma may cause vision loss if left untreated. It has been called the "silent thief of ...

). It should not be confused with Mongolian spot, which is a birthmark caused by entrapment of melanocytes in the dermis but is located in the lumbosacral region. Women are nearly five times more likely to be affected than men, and it is rare among Caucasian people. Nevus of Ota may not be

congenital A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at childbirth, birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disability, disabilities that may be physical disability, physical, intellectual disability, intellectual, or dev ...

, 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 female, the testicles i ...

Skin treatment

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

ruby 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 sapph ...

, 755 nm

Alexandrite The mineral or gemstone chrysoberyl is an aluminate of beryllium with the formula Be Al2 O4. The name chrysoberyl is derived from the Greek words χρυσός ''chrysos'' and βήρυλλος ''beryllos'', meaning "a gold-white spar". Despite ...

or 1064 nm Nd-YAG) 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 of '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', right eye * Actor Eriq La Salle of '' ER'', left eye *

YouTuber A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...

Evelien "Gab" Smolders, 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