What are the different types of café-au-lait spots?

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What are the different types of café-au-lait spots?

There are two types of café-au-lait (CAL) spots identified by their shape and pattern.

  • Coast of California: The coast of California is the most common type of CAL spot. The spot has clear, smooth borders on all sides, similar to the outline of the state of California’s coast in the U.S. There can be a single spot or multiple CAL spots with clearly defined borders.
  • Coast of Maine: The coast of Maine is a less common type of CAL spot. The spots appear to have a rough, jagged border similar to the coastal border for the state of Maine in the U.S.

If you have multiple coast of California CAL spots, visit your healthcare provider. Multiple CAL spots could indicate an underlying condition, like neurofibromatosis (NF1) or other genetic syndromes, which affect your skin and nervous system.

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