The Cutest Aplasia Cutis Around

You may remember a post regarding Henry's "sprout," that little tuft of hair on the top of his head. Well, I left something out of that post. You see the sprout, or "collar of hair" as the doctors call it, actually accompanies a rare congenital anomaly called an aplasia cutis. This is the absence of a portion of skin in a localized or widespread area at birth occasionally involving the dura or the meninges. Usually they heal before delivery and appear as an atrophic, membranous, or parchmentlike scar with associated alopecia. Henry will be having an MRI to see how deep his goes. He will then have surgery to remove it, but a neurosurgeon will be involved if it affects deeper areas. We feel very fortunate to live so close to some of the best children's hospitals in the country. This picture was taken 3 months ago, but it's one of the best shots I have. The sprout is longer now, and all of his hair is getting blonder. I think we'll miss his little curl. It's become a part of him.