Faun Tail Nevus : A Rare Cutanrous Sign For Spinal Dysraphism

Faun tail is a triangle-shaped hypertrichosis of the lumbosacral region
A full neurological and radiological workup is mandatory in all children with faun tail, because this can be associated with spina bifida, diastematomyelia, tethered cord, intraspinal lipomas, dermal sinuses, cutaneous aplasia, lipomenigomyelocele and hemangiomas

Lumbosacral Hypertrichosis; Spinal Hypertrichosis are other name for faun tail deformity (Hypertrichosis is a condition in which hair grows excessively in non-androgen-dependent area of the body).

What Is A Faun Tail Nevus ?

Faun tail is a rare type of lumbar hypertrichosis characterized by a large patch of coarse terminal hair that is usually triangular or lozenge-shaped and several inches long.
Simple necessitated hypertrichosis is the name given to congenital localized hypertrichosis that is found distant from the spine in apparently normal skin and is usually a completely benign lesion.
Sacral hypertrichosis, commonly known as faun tail naevus, is the most frequent cutaneous lesion that appears at birth.

Because skin and neural tissue share the same origin (ectoderm), abnormalities in both tissues may emerge at the same time.
Indeed, any sign of abnormal,skin lesion in the midline posterior is significant because it is commonly a marker of other spinal abnormalities.
If a patient has a faun tail nevüs, screening procedures such as MRI are required to detect any underlying dysraphic anomalies and to prevent the occurrence or progression of the neurologic deficit by timely intervention before neurological damage has occurred.

Spina bifida is one of the most common birth defects, with an average worldwide incidence of 1–2 cases per 1000 births. Spina bifida malformations fall into four categories: spina bifida occulta, spina bifida cystica (myelomeningocele), meningocele, and lipomeningocele. The most common locations of the malformations are the lumbar and sacral areas.
Spina bifida occulta is when a baby's backbone (spine) does not fully form during pregnancy. Occulta means that the defect is not visible. A midline posterior anomaly with tuft of hair is often a clue for an underlying occult spinal dysraphism. The faun tail nevus is the most frequent skin lesion at birth
The prevalence of the occulta type is not known, but it is probably the most common type of spina bifida. Although this patient demonstrated no underlying neurologic problem associated with her localized hypertrichosis, accurate screening modalities such as MRI are necessary to detect any underlying anomalies and to prevent the occurrence or progression of the neurologic deficit by timely intervention.