[Epidermal nevus syndrome - a case report]

OBJECTIVES: To present the case of a patient with an epidermal nevus since birth and its relationship to neurologic signs and symptoms, emphasizing the importance of cutaneous manifestations as early markers of syndromes involving the Central Nervous System. METHODS: Clinical, radiological and histopathological data were analyzed. RESULTS: We report the case of a boy with an erythematous lesion on the neck and cheek since birth. At 9 months the lesion was velvety and slightly brown in color, with associated hemihypertrophy of the face. After 3 months he was hospitalized for having seizures. Computerized tomography of the brain disclosed hemimegalencephaly ipsilateral to the cutaneous lesions. DISCUSSION: The cutaneous findings can be an indicator of neurologic disease since both tissues have the same embryological origin: the neural crest. Thus, the Pediatrician must recognize these cutaneous signs which appear early in life and characterize some of the Neurocutaneous Syndromes so that a proper diagnosis and follow-up can be made.