A healthy 15-year-old boy presented to the dermatology clinic with an area of pigmentation on his chest. He reported that it had been present since early childhood but that during puberty it had become darker and developed hair. He had no family history of similar cutaneous findings.
Examination revealed a well-demarcated tan-colored patch covered with coarse dark hairs, spanning his upper chest and extending onto the right shoulder and back. Physical examination was otherwise unremarkable. A clinical diagnosis of Becker’s nevus was made.
What is Becker’s nevus ?
Becker’s nevus is a benign nevoid hypermelanosis, characterized by a circumscribed hyperpigmented patch with an irregular edge. Overlying hypertrichosis frequently develops several years later.
The lesion typically develops on the upper trunk, shoulders, or upper arms of adolescent males. Becker’s nevi are generally asymptomatic, and no treatment is usually required.