Birthmark

An area of discoloured skin present from birth, or very soon afterwards, such as moles, freckles, and other types of melanocytic naevus (various flat, brown to blue-grey skin patches), strawberry marks, and port-wine stains. The last 2 are types of haemangioma (malformation of blood vessels). Strawberry marks often increase in size in the first year, but most disappear after the age of 9 years. Port-wine stains seldom fade, but laser treatment performed in adulthood can make some of them fade.

 

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