Café au lait spot

Café au lait spot
A café au lait spot on a patient's left cheek
SpecialtyDermatology 

Café au lait spots, or café au lait macules, are flat, hyperpigmented birthmarks.[1] The name café au lait is French for "coffee with milk" and refers to their light-brown color. They are caused by a collection of pigment-producing melanocytes in the epidermis of the skin.[2] These spots are typically permanent and may grow or increase in number over time.[3]

Café au lait spots are often harmless but may be associated with syndromes such as neurofibromatosis type 1 and McCune–Albright syndrome.[3] Café au lait lesions with rough borders ("coast of Maine") may be seen in McCune–Albright syndrome.[4][5] In contrast, café au lait lesions of neurofibromatosis type 1 have smooth borders ("coast of California").[5]

  1. ^ Plensdorf S, Martinez J (January 2009). "Common pigmentation disorders". American Family Physician. 79 (2): 109–16. PMID 19178061.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Morelli, JG (2013). CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics, 22e. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. pp. Chapter 15: Skin. ISBN 978-0-07-182734-8.
  4. ^ "coast of Maine spots - General Practice Notebook". Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  5. ^ a b Jameson, J. Larry; Kasper, Dennis L.; Longo, Dan L.; Fauci, Anthony S.; Hauser, Stephen L.; Loscalzo, Joseph, eds. (13 August 2018). Harrison's principles of internal medicine (20th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN 978-1-259-64403-0. OCLC 1029074059.
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