Cafe au lait spots refer to hyperpigmented areas of the skin. The spots are flat, sharply demarcated, more or less oval patches that are light to medium brown in color. The coffee-stain appearance is reflected by the name, which means “coffee with milk” in French. The long axis of the cafe au lait spot or oval is situated along a cutaneous (skin) nerve tract. The spots are usually present at birth but may become apparent in the first few years of life.
Café au lait spots are coffee-colored patches that can manifest on any part of the body. These spots typically have an oval shape and can measure several centimeters in diameter. While the presence of a few café au lait spots is generally not concerning, a higher quantity of them may indicate a hereditary disorder known as neurofibromatosis. Neurofibromatosis affects the protective sheaths surrounding nerve fibers and the presence of numerous café au lait spots can serve as a potential sign of this condition.