"Lentigo Freckles"

Café-au-lait (CaL) pigmented small spots or skin patches are frequent but in average persons tend to be few. Illustrated here are "freckles, lentigines or pecas". Such melanic (melanin is a brown or nearly black skin pigment) spots or patches, if present in large numbers or unusual areas (e.g. unexposed to sunlight, lips etc.) may be signals of clinical disorders some of considerable importance.

In practical terms, the illustrated lentigines are not particularly dark nor numerous and are on a sun-exposed region of the face. In such a context, these freckles may be considered to be a "normal sign" of sun exposure. However, if the context reveals other lentigines may represent a signal of a nero-cutaneuos-endocrine-etc. syndromes. 

"Freckels" reflect the presence of melanin but NOT in the same cell-location as "pigmented" "birth marks" - for this perspective please note the Owl emblem at the top to access directly "Clinical Eye Openers".