Definition – What is a cavernous hemangioma?
A hemangioma consists of incorrectly formed blood vessels. They are usually also called haemangiomas. They are benign growths that displace the surrounding tissue, but are normally harmless.
They can be found on various tissues, such as the eye socket, skin or liver. The cavernous hemangioma is a special form of hemangioma: the blood vessels of which it consists form larger cavities. These cavities are also called caverns and thus give the hemangioma its name.
In a cavernous hemangioma, vein–artery connections can form, which can lead to bleeding due to the increased pressure. In general, hemangiomas are observed and if they increase in size, they are sclerosed by cold or laser or removed surgically. Very often, however, they regress independently.
Causes of cavernous hemangioma
Hemangiomas are often present before birth and no exact cause for their development can be determined. The basic mechanism lies in the incorrect formation of the blood vessels. Cavernous hemangiomas occur only before birth or a few days after birth, and they do not usually re-form during life. Therefore, no causative mechanisms can be described that promote the development of a cavernous hemangioma. If the hemangiomas do not recede, they can cause symptoms during life, which are triggered either by suppressive growth or bleeding.
Localizations of the cavernous hemangioma
Cavernous hemangiomas occur in many tissues, basically all tissues in which blood vessels are located are possible. At the liver, a cavernous hemangioma can remain undetected or become noticeable late through bleeding. Hemangiomas in general often represent a chance finding during ultrasound examination of the abdomen.
In most cases, hemangiomas do not require any therapy, the situation is different in cases of persistent bleeding. Here, methods are used to sclerotize the hemangioma and thus prevent it from bleeding. Cavernous hemangiomas also occur in the brain.
Often, hemangiomas localized in the brain are not detected or are detected only by chance. Sometimes, however, epileptic seizures can occur due to the repressive growth of the hemangioma. In contrast to other vascular malformations of the brain, the cavernous hemangioma often does not lead to critical bleeding.
If symptoms are due to the hemangioma in the brain, the only treatment option is a neurosurgical intervention to remove the malformation. Cavernous hemangiomas, which are located in the orbit of the eye, lead through their growth to the displacement of other structures that are located there. The orbit is a very narrow space in which the eyeball, the eye muscles, several nerves and vessels are located.
The growth of a cavernous hemangioma leads to symptoms caused by its displacement. This can lead to a visible protrusion of the eye. Typical in this case is that the affected eye protrudes further than the unaffected eye.
The muscles that serve to move the eyeball may also be affected. In this case, the eye cannot be moved sufficiently in a certain direction. This is noticeable by double images.
Another symptom is a reddened eye with prominent blood vessels. The reason for this is an obstruction of the outflow caused by the cavernous hemangioma. Often a cavernous hemangioma forms on the skin.
It can be very small at the beginning and increase in size over time. The hemangioma is dark blue to purple in color and can appear threatening to inexperienced observers. It is painless and feels soft. If the hemangioma does not regress, it may impair growth in small children, in which case it should be removed. Can the hemangioma cause a skin tumor?
