Slide show: Birthmarks

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Cafe au lait spot

As the name implies, these permanent birthmarks are light and coffee colored. Cafe au lait (ka-FAY oh lay) birthmarks are very common, and they can occur anywhere on the body. Usually, no treatment is needed.

A single cafe au lait spot or a pair of spots is common with this birthmark. Multiple birthmarks of this type, however, can occur in neurofibromatosis or other genetic conditions. If your child has more than six cafe au lait spots, ask your doctor whether your child should have further evaluation.

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6. Wolff K, et al. Benign neoplasms and hyperplasias. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5202138. Accessed June 28, 2011.