Overview
Hemangiomas are common types of birthmarks that affect patients early in life. They are made up of small clusters of blood vessels under the surface of the skin. What causes hemangiomas to form is not understood. Hemangiomas are typically a cosmetic problem instead of a medical one, though in rare cases they can cause complications.
Types
Hemangiomas are small clusters of blood vessels that commonly occur on the skin. There are two main types of hemangiomas, Medline explains. Capillary hemangiomas are located near the skin’s surface and are typically bright red. Deeper hemangiomas (also known as cavernous hemagiomas) are typically darker in color.
Development
Most hemangiomas develop in a fairly predictable way, the Children’s Hospital of Boston explains. Hemangiomas usually appear during the first few weeks of the infant’s life and then grow rapidly for 6 to 12 months. They then slowly shrink during a period called the involuting phase, which can take several years. The tumor is fully shrunken in 50 percent of patients by the age of 5 and in 70 percent of patients by the time they are 7.
Location and Frequency
Although hemangiomas can occur anywhere on the body, the Mayo Clinic explains that they are most common on the face, scalp and neck. Between 4 and 10 percent of Caucasian infants will have a hemangioma, according to the Children’s Hospital of Boston, with the incidence being lower for Asians and African Americans. Females are also three to five times more likely to develop hemangiomas than males. Children who are born with low birth weight are also more likely to have hemangiomas.
Complications
The most common complication of hemangiomas, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, is that they can form open sores or ulcers while they are growing or shrinking. The Mayo Clinic also notes that some hemangiomas can, depending on their location, block vision or hearing as well as inhibit the ability to eat, breathe or expel waste.
Treatments
In general, hemangiomas will go away on their own as the child gets older and do not require any treatment. In the event that the birthmark is causing complications, the Mayo Clinic notes that there are two different treatment approaches. Patients can have the hemangiomas removed using laser surgery, which uses focused beams of light to vaporize the blood vessels. Hemangiomas can also be treated with injections of corticosteroids.
About this Author
Adam Cloe is an MD/PhD student at the University of Chicago. He has a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry from Boston University, where he won an award for excellence in undergraduate science writing. He has been published in various scientific journals.
