A little fright is not left out when suddenly red spots or lumps appear on the skin of the newborn. Usually, the pediatrician can reassure: Hemangiomas, or as the medical profession calls them, hemangiomas, are nothing more than a freak of nature. In many cases, they disappear after a few years just as suddenly as they came. So wait and see instead of treating? This principle no longer applies without restriction. What parents should know about hemangiomas, we explain in this article.
Definition: what are hemangiomas?
Hemangiomas are benign growths of blood vessels in the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The causes have not been conclusively determined. Abnormalities in tissue changes or tissue neoplasms are possible. What is known is that it statistically affects premature babies and girls more often. At the time of birth, hemangiomas are not yet present – unlike the commonly known stork bite or a so-called port-wine stain. It only develops within the first three to four weeks after birth.
In the beginning, hemangiomas are only visible as red spots, but they can grow rapidly during the first months of life. Although these spots are harmless and often regress on their own without leaving significant scars, it is still advisable to have the hemangioma looked at by a pediatrician early on and possibly record its development with photographs.
Treat hemangiomas
The physician decides on a case-by-case basis whether to treat at all and, if so, how. If the hemangioma is superficial and is not perceived as bothersome, it is often possible to wait and see if it spontaneously regresses on its own. This can take up to the tenth year of life. So small hemangiomas do not necessarily need to be removed.
When do you need to remove hemangiomas?
Hemangiomas on the face, neck, or genital area, as well as hemangiomas that grow in a short time, are considered “emergencies.” That is, they should be treated within a few days. The danger is too great that important body orifices could be narrowed or displaced to life-threatening proportions – for example, the trachea, eye, nose, mouth and ear. In the anal and genital areas, there is a risk of additional complications if the skin here chafes and becomes infected with the contents of the diaper.
The child’s psychological distress from teasing may also argue for early intervention. Common procedures include icing the hemangioma using cryotherapy and laser treatment of the affected area of skin.
If the hemangioma is removed for purely cosmetic reasons, the cost of the procedure usually must be borne by the patient.
Hemangioma in the liver
Hemangiomas can also occur in adults as benign tumors in internal organs. Hemangiomas are particularly common in the liver, but they can also develop in the spleen, kidney, or lungs, for example.
Women are three times more likely than men to develop hemangiomas in the liver because their growth is favored by taking medications containing estrogen or progesterone (including the pill) or by pregnancy.
Often, there are no recognizable or non-specific symptoms associated with hemangiomas in the liver. In this case, no treatment is usually necessary. However, if hemangiomas are detected by ultrasound in the liver, they should at least be checked regularly. If bleeding or thrombosis of the hemangiomas occurs, severe abdominal pain, fever and altered liver values may occur. If pressure is exerted on other organs by the hemangiomas, surgery may be advisable.
