Diving Deep into the Mysteries: Five Fascinating Facts about Birthmarks

The Mystery of Unilateral Distribution

One of the intriguing aspects of birthmarks is their seemingly mysterious distribution. More often than not, vascular birthmarks like port wine stains occur on only one side of the body, a phenomenon known as the unilateral distribution. This non-random occurrence sparks interesting discussions in the scientific community.

The prevailing hypothesis to explain this unilateral distribution is associated with the development of the embryonic neural crest. The cells from the embryonic neural crest will migrate and form various structures, including the vascular system. Theoretically, any interruption or deviation in these cells' pathway might cause formation of vascular birthmarks on one side, hence the unilateral pattern.