faded bruise-looking marks on back of spine at waistline w/ "leaking" from hip to hip

My son is 10 months old. He has a birthmark that I would describe as 4 or 5 faded bruise-looking marks - the biggest is the size of a dime - located on the back his of spine at the waistline. The birthmark also has an almost imperceptible oval area with what appears to be a "leaking" or faded briuse extending from hip to hip and a couple of inches high. When my son was born via C-Section the OB and pediatrician thought he just had some bruises from sitting on my wife's spine due to the fact that he didn't have much room give that my wife is maybe 5'5" and he was 9lbs at 2 weeks early. When he was born the spots were essentially black, but they have since faded to bruise-like appearance described above. Other than the fading that has occurred in the last 10 months, no one has observed any growth or other strange things happening. Until Friday, my wife and I weren't all that concerned because the 2 pediatricians said it wasn't a concern. However, when we went to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center this Friday to get our son's top-of-the-charts-large-head checked out and have an MRI done, all of the nurses and nurse practitioners said that they had never seen anything like it and that it was imperative to get it checked out by a dermatologist, and possibly a neurologist. So now we're looking for an answer to what his birthmark is. Has anyone seen any birthmarks like this and know what it is with any certainty? If you know what it is, are there any risks involved or anything else we should be aware of. We're in the process of looking for a specialist in the Pittsburgh area if anyone has any suggestions. I guess from the little that I've read, it could be any number of things - Hemangiomas, Mongolian Spots, Venous Stains, Venous Malformations. Actually it sounded most like Mongolian Spots, but neither myself nor my wife have any confirmed Asian or African ancestry.

[KristieinStMarysGA]

Hi,

My best advice is to e-mail one of the experts on the main page and see what they say. They are awesome and get back to you within a few days. Also you can check the "find a physician" page and find someone close by.

I am sure someone will respond with more information than what I have.

Good Luck!


Kristie

[swsc]

Hi - I hope your son is doing well. Is the lesion actually leaking clear fluid? Did anyone mention the possibility of a lymphatic malformation? Like Kristie suggested, I would contact the doctors on the Ask the Expert links of this website and include pictures of the affected area. Please let me know what you find out, or if there is anything else we can help you with.

Glenda

[missy]

I didn't check to see if you had emailed an expert yet, but probably starting with Dr. Levitin would be best. If you have trouble sending photos, email me at admin@upstatesites.com and I'll send them on.

And, thanks for the "off-the-charts-large-head" comment. Got me laughing right away this morning!!

Missy

[nickbar]

Please have your son's records sent to Dr. Waner in NYC for evaluation. All of the possibilities you mentioned are viable options. If his head is larger than normal and he has this extensive staining, there may be a syndrome. He needs to have a good evaluation by a vascular birthmarks team. This coul also be a form of CMTC since you said it faded out, which is Cutis Mamorata Telengectasia Congenitica. It is a marbled type stain that fades out over time. The venous and hemangiomas would not fade out. The hemangioma is rarely mongolian spot looking. Venous stains is the only thing I can think of but they don't fade out. Please send a photo to me at hvbf@aol.com as I am very curious. Any other concerns, send me.

Linda

The spots that you describe sound like Mongolian Spots. They appear in a small percentage of babies and should disappear in time. Just remember, doctors and nurses don't know everything!! For your own peace of mind, I would have it checked out by a dermatologist before you send the information to vascular specialists.

[swsc]

bryandylan - Is there any news on your son yet? Please let us know what you find out. I hope he is doing well.
Glenda