…Researched and contributed by Alan Peterson for TDPel Media.
James McCallum, born on August 19th, 2021, at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida, was born with a large mass covering most of his back that was initially thought to be a birthmark.
After waiting months for a diagnosis, James was eventually diagnosed with giant congenital melanocytic nevus, a benign, tumour-like malformation resulting from faulty development of pigment cell.
The growth was removed in a series of operations, and tissue expansion was used to replace the nevus with healthy skin.
James’ parents, Kaitlyn and Tim, were relieved that the procedure was a success, and they hope that James will only have to undergo one final round to remove the nevus entirely.
The growth on James’ back, which initially looked like a birthmark, was eventually diagnosed as a giant congenital melanocytic nevus that covered 75% of his back.
It rapidly grew and became like a “turtle shell” on his back, which caused James to have difficulty lying on his back.
Before the first removal surgery in February 2022, James had an MRI to assess whether the mass was growing internally, but fortunately, the results came back negative.
After James underwent two surgeries to remove the bulk of the nevus, his parents explored the idea of tissue expansion to replace the nevus with healthy skin.
Tissue expansion is a process where expanders are placed under the skin, and saline is injected once a week to slowly expand the healthy skin, which replaces the nevus.
The first round of tissue expansion was successful, and James will head back to Chicago to have the last expanders placed and expanded throughout the summer.
Commentary:
James’ story highlights the importance of early detection and diagnosis of rare skin conditions.
Despite the initial lack of knowledge about the growth on James’ back, his parents persisted in seeking a diagnosis, which eventually led to the successful removal of the nevus.
The use of tissue expansion to replace the nevus with healthy skin also highlights the advances in medical technology that can help improve the quality of life for individuals with rare skin conditions.
It’s heartening to see how the support of online communities and organizations such as the Nevus Outreach Organisation can help families navigate the challenges of rare skin conditions and access specialized medical care.