Halo nevus

Synonym:

Leukoderma acquisitum centrifugum
Sutton's nevus

The halo nevus is a melanocytic nevus that develops a surrounding circle of depigmentation, with the eventual disappearance of that central nevus.
The halo nevus probably represents an immune mediated destruction of the nevus.
After the regression of the nevus, the halo itself usually disappears in months or years.
Halo nevi can be multiple.
Not uncommon in childhood, the presence of a halo around a pigmented lesion in a patient over age 30 should raise the possibility of a malignant melanoma with a halo.
Halo nevi are common in patients with vitiligo.

Treatment:

• The nevus should be assessed clinically.
• If there are clinical features of atypia in the central lesion, excision biopsy should be considered.
• If there are features of a banal nevus, it is usually not treated.

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