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birthmark
Sign in to saveA birthmark is a congenital, benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth—usually in the first month. Birthmarks can occur anywhere on the skin. They are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or keratinocytes.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Birthmark
- Medical condition (new).image
- PikiWiki Israel 50221 mikhail sergeyevich gorbachev.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- Port-wine stain birthmark visible on the head of Mikhail Gorbachev, one of the most famous individuals with such a birthmark
- Medical condition (new).field
- Dermatology
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Article
12 sectionsContents
- Pigmented types
- Mole
- Café au lait spot
- Mongolian spot
- Vascular types
- Stork bite
- Strawberry mark
- Port-wine stain
- Treatment
- Historical explanations
- References
- External links
A birthmark is a congenital, benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth—usually in the first month. Birthmarks can occur anywhere on the skin. They are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or keratinocytes.
Dermatologists divide birthmarks into two types: pigmented birthmarks and vascular birthmarks. Pigmented birthmarks caused by excess skin pigment cells include: moles, café au lait spots, and Mongolian spots. Vascular birthmarks, also called red birthmarks, are caused by increased blood vessels and include macular stains (salmon patches), hemangiomas, and port-wine stains. A little over 1 in 10 babies have a vascular birthmark present by age 1. Several birthmark types are part of the group of skin lesions known as nevi or naevi, which is Latin for "birthmarks".