Curriculum · ENT, Ophthalmology, and Dermatology
Nevus sebaceous
What it is
Nevus sebaceous is one of two scalp findings the material sets side by side on the same page, each given as a description and a what to do. The description given for this one is an area of alopecia with orange colored nodular skin.
How it presents
The picture beside that description shows one orange patch on the head of a baby, in front of and above the ear, with no hair over it. So the two parts of the description go together in what is seen: the skin is orange and nodular, and there is no hair where it sits.
How it is diagnosed
The other scalp finding set beside it on the same page is seborrheic dermatitis, and the material tells them apart by description alone. Seborrheic dermatitis is given as thick, yellow/white oily scale on an inflammatory base, and what to do for it is to clean gently with a mild shampoo. So the two are told apart by what is seen: orange nodular skin with alopecia on one side, thick yellow or white oily scale on an inflammatory base on the other.