Neonatal Dermatopathology: A 10-Year Institutional Review

Background/objectiveNeonatal skin conditions are typically diagnosed through noninvasive methods. Few studies describe the spectrum of biopsy- evaluated neonatal skin lesions. We present our institutional experience with the conditions leading to skin biopsies in neonates. The objective is to describe the conditions for which skin biopsies are performed in neonatal patients.MethodsThere were 20 neonatal skin biopsies over a 10-year period from the hospital's delivery unit, NICU, and pediatric hospital. Biopsies were categorized as inflammatory (not caused by an infectious agent), congenital, neoplastic, infectious, and vascular conditions.ResultsThe patients' ages ranged from 1 day to 4 weeks, with a male predominance. There were 6 inflammatory, 7 congenital, 5 neoplastic, 1 infectious, and 1 vascular lesions.ConclusionsThe most frequent neonatal skin biopsy lesions were inflammatory or congenital lesions. This review described the types of neonatal dermatopathology specimens that we encountered in practice.