Therapy

There are various possibilities for the removal of haemangioma. In principle, not every blood sponge has to be removed, but there are often situations in which removal makes sense. A common method is laser therapy, which is mainly used for blood sponges on the face or other visible areas.

Various lasers are used for removal. Apart from laser therapy, it is also possible to freeze flat blood sponges of the skin. This treatment is called cryotherapy.

Just like laser therapy, it can be carried out in infancy. Surgical removal of blood sponges is also possible. However, an operation is only performed in very rare cases.

Especially haemangioma of internal organs, such as the liver, or cavernomas of the brain and spinal cord can make an operation necessary. This is always the case when the blood sponge causes symptoms. Finally, for some time now, there has been a drug therapy with beta-blockers that inhibit the growth of the haemangioma, so that in the best case scenario they disappear.

Various lasers are available for the treatment of haemangioma. External treatment with the laser causes the red blood cells to be heated inside the expanded vessels of the haematopoietic sponge. These pass the heat on to the vessel wall, which bursts as a result.

In this way, haematopoietic sponges are reduced in size until they finally disappear. For very small blood sponges, one session may be sufficient. Larger blood sponges require several sessions for a satisfactory result.

The treatment is performed on an outpatient basis and requires anesthesia for babies and infants because it is painful. Basically, the individual impulses of the laser feel like pinpricks. However, adults tolerate the treatment well without anaesthesia.

For a few hours after the treatment, local itching, slight pain and reddening at the affected skin area may occur. A few days after the treatment there may be bruising and swelling, but these disappear after about one to two weeks. Cooling packs are very effective against the swelling and blue discoloration of the skin.

In some cases, light crusts may form on the skin. Direct sunlight should be avoided during the entire treatment period to prevent a shift in pigmentation. The sun should be avoided for up to two months after the treatment has been completed. The skin must not be pre-tanned for laser therapy.

Duration

Blood sponges vary greatly in their growth tendency and their course. Some congenital haematopoietic sponges regress on their own after some time. They usually show a growth phase of about 6 to 9 months.

A regression then usually occurs within the first 10 years of life and is not predictable. However, there are also blood sponges that do not appear until adulthood and remain for life. Since it cannot be predicted whether the haematopoietic sponge will regress or not, it is usually removed at a young age.