What is a Hemangioma?
A hemangioma is a type of birthmark. It is the most common benign (non-cancerous) tumor of the skin. Hemangiomas may be present at birth (faint red mark) or may appear in the first months after birth. A hemangioma is also known as a port wine stain, strawberry hemangioma, and salmon patch. About 83 percent of hemangiomas occur in the head or neck area. Hemangiomas occur five times more often in females than in males.
A hemangioma is a cluster or bundle of small veins that have become bunched together and dilated. Most often, people refer to the hemangiomas that are present on newborns and young children, especially on the neck and face. They can occur elsewhere in the body, such as in the liver or even the spine, but they tend to be relatively harmless because they usually resolve without treatment. Any hemangioma is considered a tumor. They are benign, and the name tumor reflects the abnormal growth of certain types of cells. In most cases, what occurs is that endothelial cells (cells that line blood vessels) grow abnormally. This type of tumor is also called self-involuting, because the abnormal growth stops at some point, and the tumor begins to recede. It can still leave a residual red mark, sometimes as large as 2-3 inches (5.08-7.62 cm), after the tumor involutes. In infants, a hemangioma present on the skin may start out as a flat mark, which is bluish or pink in appearance. This can then le
The word hemangioma comes from the Latin words hemangio meaning blood vessel and oma meaning tumor with active cell dividing activity. Hemangiomas differ from other vascular birthmarks in that they are biologically active, their growth is dependent from the growth of the child. They are the most common benign tumor of infants. Hemangioma growth is referred to as Hyperplasia, where as other vascular birthmarks growth is referred to as Hypertrophy. Q. Who gets hemangiomas? 1 in 100 children each year in the U.S. will be born with a vascular birthmark that requires the opinion of a specialist (40,000). Most hemangiomas appear within a week or two after birth. Hemangiomas are up to 5 times more common in girls than boys. They are less likely to occur in African American babies then Caucasian babies. They occur more frequently in premature infants. Q. Where do hemangiomas occur? Hemangiomas are most often found on the head or neck (up to 80%), however, they may occur anywhere on the skin or
