Birthmarks? what type?

[400ex]

Do you have birthmarks? I remember when I went to the doctor he showed concern with my birthmark, didnt explain why then when I told him I had it since I was a child he didn't seem that concerned as I developed my E when I was a teen. I think he showed a bit concerned because there is a correlation to Cafe Spots and Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Type 2 and Tuberous Sclerosis

As I've done some research birthmarks may have some revelance to a lot of disorders out there. Namely Cafe spots.

My mom and sister have cafe spots. they have Addisons. My aunt has a cafe spot and she has some terrible migranes.

I am not sure if my aunt or grandfather have cafe spots or any other type of birthmarks but they do have E.

So do you have any birthmarks?

I have a cafe spot, some one noticed it when I was about 6, it has gotten darker in the pass couple years. You could barely notice it, now you can see it pretty easily.

[Rae1889]

I have an extremely small cafe mark on my right forearm in the shape of a dagger. its so cool. and then I have a large *quarter size or slightly bigger* super dark birthmark on my right bicep. Its shaped like an upside down heart. and isnt bumpy or hairy. (neither are) and is just really too dark to be a cafe mark. its almost like chocolate pudding. had it since birth.

I have heard of people having "white spots" where there is no pigmentation. I have a friend with a large on his back shaped like quebec!

[Nakamova]

Small (.5 inch diameter) football-shaped mark at the top of my right thigh. Not sure if it qualifies as a "cafe mark" or not, so I voted other.

[400ex]

Small (.5 inch diameter) football-shaped mark at the top of my right thigh. Not sure if it qualifies as a "cafe mark" or not, so I voted other.

cafe mark/spot looks like a coffee stain

[joan]

My son has an odd birth mark on his chest. Probably the size of a fist. Dr told me when he was born had it been on his back he would have been a sick kid. fast forward 15 years and E. His has no color and is an odd texture of skin.

joan*

[Endless]

Is this a trick poll? Is there a hidden correlation between birthmarks and seizures?

I remember a graph I saw about 10 years ago which showed a strong positive correlation between babies born in this scandanavian town and the number of storks in town. It doesn't mean the storks were bringing the babies! It just mean that a lot of babies were concieved during the months the fishermen were all home! The birth months correlated with the stork migration.

[400ex]

No this isn't a trick poll at all, birth marks are correlated with a lot of things. There isn't much out there on the internet saying birthmarks are in correlation with epilepsy, I just wanted to see how many people who have seizures have birthmarks.

Some people who have birthmarks have absolutely no health issues and then some people who have birth marks do have some health related issues. Not saying birthmarks are DIRECTLY correlated to epilepsy, but there has been plenty of research that birthmarks can be a sign of something or just absolutely nothing.

[Endless]

I wonder what gene controls birthmarks? I was startled to see what illnesses lie on chromosome 16, which has now been linked to epilepsy. (See epilepsy news items). Some of the chromosome 16 anomaly items run in my family. That chromosome has lots of genes on it, and the epilepsy one was on 16p13.11. Just because illnesses are on the same chromosome doesn't mean they are related, but I still find it interesting.

Ha. Just googled it. One kind of birthmark is on chromosome 9.

[Crystalblue]

Slightly larger than a quarter cafe spot, roughly the shape of.....um.....I dunno, Texas? Upper right thigh.
My mom has a similar one on her ankle. She doesn't have E, and I'm just getting dx'ed, so I'm not sure what kind I have. Absence? Complex partial? Will be seeing the neurologist on 4/21.

[skillefer]

I should actually say that I "had" a birthmark..

Like many Asians, I had a blue spot at the top of my rump. Yes....I actually looked like I had a smurf tail.

It's still there...just faded. (or so says my hubby....it's not like I can see there easily)

My baby also has blue spots. Just more of them, and darker. (they too are on her rump.)
According to the nurse, they are due to her ethnicity.

[Zoofemme]

I have a cafe mark on my arm...its just round, not raised or anything. Its a darker pigment then my skin and if I tan it will get darker. My brother has a similar mark on his temple. I also have what we call "strawberry" birthmarks on my neck. All of the women in my family have these and they are there from birth...pinkish-red blotches.

[Rae1889]

Chad has a million and a half birth marks and moles. He has some tiny little red ones, that look like small cuts or ketchup flakes. He also has alot of raised and unraised dark circle moles. and a few actual cafe marks and one small portwine spill on his chest.

[seizingbeauty]

I have about a dozen or so spots on my arms the colour of caramel. If I had more I'd call them freckles.
I don't know about the genetics of birthmarks but my daughter and I both have what we call a beauty mark on our right "cheek". Its about the size of the top of a thumb tack and and I'd say coffee coloured.

[daisy.girl]

I have a small cafe spot on my right forearm.....

I found this link to cafe au lait spots and epilepsy: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1184076-overview

A general physical and thorough neurologic examination should be performed in all patients with epilepsy.

General examination
Signs suggestive of syndromes that may be associated with epilepsy, such as facial dysmorphisms
Skin abnormalities such as cafe-au-lait spots, hypomelanotic macules, or neurofibromas suggesting neurocutaneous syndrome

[RobinN]

I have a cafe spot where my arm meets my chest, as did my mother, and my oldest sister.
My middle son has it on his leg, as does Rebecca.

My mother, sister, and I all suffered from migraines. Magnesium has eliminated mine.
Rebecca has seizures, and my son has an auto immune disorder called vitiligo which probiotics has improved.

[Nakamova]

Keep in mind that in the context of a neurological exam where there are other suspicious symptoms, the cafe-au-lait spots can be indications of a tumor. But for the vast majority -- even those of us with epilepsy -- cafe-au-lait spots are harmless.

[CathyAnn31]

My son has one that covers 1/4 of his back and reaches to under one armpit. I never thought anything of it except for its huge size. During the summer it gets so tan on his pale skin! He's 7yrs old and has ADHD. I'll look more into birthmarks later.

As for me, I have a few... Hidden nicely by underwear, lol. They have faded some in my old age...