Surgical treatment of aplasia cutis in the Adams-Oliver syndrome.

Aplasia cutis is one of the features of the Adams-Oliver syndrome, beside limb anomalies. Aplasia cutis, congenital absence of skin, is a lesion that usually presents over the vertex of the skull. Management of aplasia cutis depends on the size of the skin defect and the child's physical condition. Scalp defects larger than approximately 1 cm should be treated surgically. In patients with aplasia cutis, surgery should preferably be performed using rotation scalp flaps, and additional split skin grafts. The history of two babies with the Adams-Oliver syndrome is presented. In the Adams-Oliver syndrome, large rotation scalp flaps are not reliable due to the abnormal vascularity of the skin. Skin grafting is the safest way, preventing hemorrhage and infection, in the operative treatment of aplasia cutis in these babies.