Can café-au-lait spots be normal?

Café-au-lait (CAL) spots are benign (noncancerous), harmless and will not affect your child's body. If your child has more than six CAL spots, visit your healthcare provider because multiple CAL spots can be a sign of an underlying genetic condition.

Can you have café au lait spots without neurofibromatosis?

It is not unusual for a healthy child to have a few café-au-lait spots, and it is not recommended to provide an evaluation for NF1 if the spots are fewer than six in number. These spots also should be clear and distinct – finding very faint or small skin spots does not count towards the six spots needed for diagnosis.

When should I worry about café au lait spots?

Café au lait spots are usually harmless and don't cause any uncomfortable symptoms or complications. But you shouldn't ignore these spots, especially if you have more than a handful on your body. This could indicate an underlying genetic disorder.

Do cafe au lait spots always mean NF1?

The most common symptom of NF1 is the appearance of painless, coffee-coloured patches on the skin, called café au lait spots. However, not everyone with café au lait spots has NF1. The spots can be present at birth or develop by the time a child is 3 years old.

Can cafe au lait spots be normal?

Café au lait spots are harmless and normal, with some people having anywhere from one to three spots. But sometimes, these spots can indicate an underlying genetic problem.

Café-au-lait spots

How many café-au-lait spots are concerning?

Cafe au lait spots usually appear singly. More spots can occur in children with a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis or other conditions. If your child has six or more cafe au lait spots, ask your doctor whether your child needs a medical examination.

Can you have neurofibromatosis without symptoms?

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Neurofibromatosis Type 1? Most newborns with neurofibromatosis type 1 have no symptoms, but some have curved lower leg bones. By their first birthday, most children with NF1 have several skin spots, called café-au-lait ("coffee with milk") spots because of their color.

What can be mistaken for neurofibromatosis?

Legius syndrome also is called a neurofibromatosis 1-like syndrome because its symptoms are similar to NF1. Individuals with Legius syndrome have skin problems including brown birthmarks, called cafe-au-lait spots, and freckling, as well as mild learning problems and a larger head.

Can you live a normal life with neurofibromatosis?

Children and adults with NF1 can have a variety of symptoms and medical problems which can change across a lifespan. Most people with NF1 have a normal life expectancy. Because many of the other clinical features of NF1 develop as an individual gets older, getting the correct diagnosis may take several years.

How do I know if my baby has neurofibromatosis?

Light brown spots on the skin called café-au-lait spots. These are the most common signs of NF, and they often appear at birth or in the first years of life. They're harmless, but if your child has more than six, she probably has NF1. Freckles in the armpits or groin area also are signs of NF1.

Can café-au-lait spots get bigger?

Café-au-lait macules are harmless light to dark brown, oval, well-defined spots. They are normally present from birth and can increase in number and size over time.

How do I verify NF1?

What do people with neurofibromatosis look like?

Signs and symptoms include: Flat, light brown spots on the skin (cafe au lait spots). These harmless spots are common in many people. Having more than six cafe au lait spots suggests NF1 .

How do you stop neurofibromas from growing?

There is no medication that can prevent neurofibromas from growing. And, there is nothing you can do that would make more neurofibromas develop. Neurofibromas often appear or grow in size during times of hormone changes such as puberty (which you can't avoid) and pregnancy.

Is neurofibromatosis curable?

There is no known treatment or cure for neurofibromatosis or schwannomatosis. Medication can be prescribed to help with pain. In some cases, growths may be removed surgically or reduced with radiation therapy.

Can you have a neurofibroma without having neurofibromatosis?

Solitary neurofibromas can also occur in people who don't have NF. These are called sporadic neurofibromas. Their cause is not known, although researchers are exploring the role of trauma. Most sporadic neurofibromas don't cause pain and can be managed without surgery or medication.

Are neurofibromas common?

A neurofibroma is a type of nerve tumor that forms soft bumps on or under the skin. A neurofibroma can develop within a major or minor nerve anywhere in the body. This common type of benign nerve tumor tends to form more centrally within the nerve.

What color are neurofibromas?

Dermal neurofibromas appear as soft, flesh-colored to pink or brown, exophytic papules or nodules. They may become pedunculated. Dermal neurofibromas may also present as more subtle blue or violaceous macules or slightly raised papulonodules. The tumors are easily invaginated (“buttonhole sign”).

What do NF1 tumors look like?

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a hereditary condition commonly associated with multiple café-au-lait spots on the skin. Café-au-lait spots are light brown in color, like the color of “coffee with milk.” About 10% to 25% of the general population has café-au-lait spots; NF1 is suspected when a person has 6 or more.

How quickly do neurofibromas grow?

The median rate of growth of the individual tumours expressed as a percentage of the volume measured on the first exam was 2.8% per year, with a range of −35.9% to 3667% per year.

Can a dermatologist diagnose NF1?

NF1 is also the most common cancer predisposition syndrome. The diagnosis is often made by dermatologists who also operate on cutaneous neurofibroma tumours.

How common are café-au-lait birthmarks?

Approximately 10% of the general population has one or two café-au-lait spots. However, having more than 5 café-au-lait spots (referred to as multiple CALS) is rare.

What do café-au-lait spots indicate?

Café-au-lait spots are light to dark brown pigmented birthmarks that commonly appear on a newborn's skin. Spots can change in size and number over time. More than six café-au-lait spots can be a sign of an underlying genetic condition like neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

Why do I have dark spots on my spine?

Some of the most common causes of dark patches on the back are inflammation, injury or illness. Hyperpigmentation on the back can also develop due to irregularity in the melanin levels. Melanin is the substance that provides colour to the skin and protects it from the sun.

Who is most likely to get neurofibromatosis?

The only true risk factor for developing neurofibromatosis is having a parent who also has the condition. In nearly half of all cases of type 1 and type 2 neurofibromatosis, and in around 15 percent of schwannomatosis cases, the condition is passed down from parent to child.