Stork bite in the neck

Definition

The phenomenon colloquially known as stork bite or port-wine stain is a harmless skin phenomenon that occurs in newborns. In medicine it is called naevus flammeus. Due to a local dilatation of the blood vessels under the skin, the skin in this area appears very red.

Neck, back of the head as well as between the eyebrows and the eyelids are the most common locations for a stork bite. Sometimes the nose, cheek, forehead as well as the skin on arms and legs and other parts of the body are also affected. A stork bite can be detected in almost 50% of all newborns. As a rule, a stork bite recedes within the first months to 3 years of life, although in rare cases the phenomenon can last a lifetime. General information can be found here: Stork bite in a baby

Causes

A stork bite is an expansion of the small vessels under the skin. Due to this local dilation of the vessels, the area of the skin appears clearly reddened. In most cases it is not possible to explain why the stork bite occurs.

So the appearance of the skin is not necessarily a sign for other diseases of the newborn. However, since a stork bite occurs more frequently in certain diseases affecting the skin and nervous system, further examinations should follow, especially if there are other symptoms. This is especially true if the symptoms are large, sharply defined skin manifestations on the face or other parts of the body and are one-sided. An example of a disease that correlates with the occurrence of a stork bite on the face is the so-called Sturge Weber syndrome (here, among other things, seizures occur that require urgent treatment). Causes for the occurrence of the disease are mostly gene mutations.

Symptoms

A stork bite is a harmless skin condition that is not usually associated with other symptoms and fades after some time. However, if the stork bite is a symptom in the context of a hereditary developmental disorder, other complaints may also occur. In these rare clinical pictures, neurological and systemic symptoms are in the foreground in addition to the skin changes.

If such a disease is present, seizures and tumors of the internal organs may occur. Skin changes caused by dilation of the blood vessels do not usually itch. If an itching occurs in the context of the skin symptoms, it is therefore reasonable to assume that the disease in question is another disease and not a stork bite. Especially if the area is also scaly or wet, a doctor should be consulted for clarification.