Associated symptoms

A stork bite on the nose shows no accompanying symptoms. It is a benign malformation of vascular structures below the uppermost layer of skin. The stork bite as such has no disease value.

Typical symptoms of other skin diseases are completely absent. The stork bite can only be a cosmetic problem if it does not regress. However, a stork bite can also occur in the context of congenital syndromes.

Stork bites are more common in some phacomatoses. In this context one speaks more often of fire marks. Phacomatoses are various diseases, which particularly affect the skin and the nervous system.

The possible accompanying symptoms are very diverse. Stork bites do not cause itching. Therefore, if a skin change accompanied by itching is observed, other possible diagnoses should be considered. Reddish skin changes accompanied by itching can, for example, indicate neurodermatitis or psoriasis. However, these differ significantly in their appearance from a stork bite.

Therapy

Stork bites on the nose usually fade within the first years of life. When exactly the stork bite disappears completely varies from child to child. Most stork bites disappear within the first year of life.

However, some can last a lifetime and thus become a cosmetic problem for those affected. In particular, stork bites on the nose, which occur in the context of phacomatosis, tend not to disappear by themselves. Then the stain can be removed without complications with a laser treatment that helps to obliterate the dilated vessels.

Stork bite on the nose and forehead

Stork bites can also occur on the forehead. The forehead, like the nose, is a rather rare location for a stork bite. Especially a simultaneous occurrence of a stork bite on the nose and forehead is very rare. The probability for the presence of a phacomatosis is increased if a stork bite on the forehead and nose occurs simultaneously.

Stork bite on the nose and neck

Stork bites on the neck or the back of the head are very common. About half of the newborns show such stork bites. Usually they disappear by themselves after a few months. However, a simultaneous occurrence of stork bites on the neck or back of the head and on the nose is more likely to indicate the presence of other malformations, for example in the context of phacomatosis.