Definition
A hemangioma is colloquially also called a haemangioma or strawberry spot. A hemangioma is a common benign tumor (swelling, increase in volume of a tissue) of the vessels and develops during embryonic development by the formation of small vascular plexuses. As a rule, a haematopoietic sponge develops in babies in the first four weeks of life.
Only rarely do older children or adults develop a hemangioma. A hemangioma belongs to the group of angiomas. An angioma is a tumor-like formation of new blood vessels or developmental malformation of the vessels.
The origin of hemangiomas in infancy and childhood is still unknown. Usually hemangiomas are still very small at birth, but in some cases they can increase significantly in size (especially in the first year of life). In most cases, a hemangioma is congenital and may have different growth tendencies.
For the most part, hemangiomas regress on their own; most haemangiomas do not have a tendency to become malignant later. However, there are also hemangiomas that are not congenital and only appear in adulthood. This form of hemangioma occurs mainly after the 3rd decade of life.
A hemangioma can occur anywhere on the body and also on the internal organs. In about two thirds of cases, however, a hemangioma is located in the head and neck area. 30 percent of haemangiomas are located in the liver.
These are often noticed as random findings during a liver ultrasound examination. About 3 to 5 percent of infants have one or more hemangiomas at birth. In premature babies, haemangiomas are somewhat more common.
For this reason, hemangioma is the most common tumor in infants. Girls are two to three times more frequently affected by hemangiomas than boys. In most cases, treatment can be dispensed with in the case of a hemangioma, as it disappears by itself.
Early treatment is advisable for growing haemangiomas. Not to be confused with a hemangioma is the so-called stork bite. This is also a dilatation of blood vessels, but the stork bite does not protrude above the skin level.
A hemangioma usually causes no symptoms. Blood sponges located on the surface of the skin or mucous membrane can be recognized as reddish spots or elevations. Deeper subcutaneous hemangiomas may appear bluish and resemble a bruise in a baby (hematoma).
In the first months of life, the hemangioma can grow at very different rates. In most cases, it stops growing in later infancy and disappears by itself after a few years without leaving anything behind. A clear hemangioma that is localized in the face can be very stressful for cosmetic reasons.
Depending on the location of the haemangioma, physical symptoms may occur. For example, a hemangioma on the eyelid can make it difficult to open the eye, and haemangiomas located in the armpit can be pressure-sensitive and cause pain. Most of those affected do not experience pain from their hemangioma.
Pain may be caused by a mass in the internal organs, but does not affect the much more common skin hemangiomas. In so-called cavernous hemangiomas, thrombus formation can occur. This means that blood clots form in the hemangioma because the flow is different. If these thrombi are flushed into other parts of the body, they can lead to vascular occlusion with severe pain. A doctor should be consulted immediately.
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