Universal acquired melanosis (Carbon baby): A case report

• Main Authors: Shahshahanie MM, Naraghie ZS, Sepehrie P
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 1997-04-01
• Series: Tehran University Medical Journal
• Online Access: http://journals.tums.ac.ir/PdfMed.aspx?pdf_med=/upload_files/pdf/5888.pdf&manuscript_id=5888

The human's skin colour is dependent on the genetic factors more than every other thing. There are four main racial groups according to different skin colors. Caucasoids, Mongoloids Negroids and Australoids. The differences between these groups are in the size, shape and distribution of melanosomes. In this paper we report a five years old girl who was born to white parents parent. Twenty days after her birth, the skin began to become pigmented and progressed gradually. At the age of 10-12 months the skin of this child was totally pigmented. The mucus membrane of her mouth, eyes and tongue are of ashy dark color. There was not any endocrine or metabolic disorders and she looks healthy apart from her skin color. She has an older sister who is white. In clinical examination the hair of the scalp were black and fine, the skin was soft and smooth, these finding: are against the characteristics of negro hair and skin. In microscopic examination there was evidence of some aberration in transferring melanin (melanosomes) from junctional melanocytes to the epidermal keratiocytes which leading in extensive dropping of melanin pigment granules into the papillary dermis with no evidence of inflammatory process. The first case of this abnormality was reported in a Mexican baby, in 1978 and this is the second case reported in the literature.