What should one do if a hemangioma bleeds?

A hemangioma is a benign tumor of the blood vessels and is accordingly well supplied with blood. Injury to the hemangioma can therefore lead to severe bleeding. In a person with normally functioning blood clotting, the bleeding should stop by itself or with a little pressure from outside. If bleeding continues, a tight bandage should be applied around the hemangioma and a doctor should be consulted who can properly treat the bleeding. Bleeding from a hemangioma is basically no different from any other bleeding wound and is no more dangerous than other bleeding.

Can a hemangioma become malignant?

A hemangioma becomes malignant only in very rare cases. A degeneration cannot be predicted, which is why regular monitoring of hemangiomas is advisable. If a hemangioma is malignant, it has a high growth rate. In addition to the actual malignant degeneration, a capillary hemangioma can develop into a cavernous hemangioma. This is not a malignant tumor, but it can form thrombi in the hemangioma and thus also lead to serious complications.

How can a hemangioma be removed?

There are many different methods of removing a hemangioma nowadays. The basic direction is to try to remove as few hemangiomas as possible by open surgery, but to treat them with minimally invasive or non-invasive therapies. Which treatment option is ultimately chosen depends strongly on the growth, size, localization and existing complications.

For hemangiomas of the internal organs, such as the spleen, a laparoscopy is usually performed. In this procedure, only very small incisions are made in the ceiling and operated through these with elongated instruments. This method has proven itself in the meantime and is used in many areas of surgery.

A further therapeutic option is the laser treatment of superficial hemangiomas of the skin. This is the most tolerable form of therapy for the patient. Hemangiomas of the brain may be located in places that cannot be operated on.

Here, radiation is the treatment of choice. This also shows good results.In addition to all these rather invasive therapy options, drug treatment with corticosteroids or beta-blockers has proven to be equally effective. Hemangiomas can also be treated by laser therapy.

Since a laser only has a penetration depth of less than one centimeter, children should be presented early. In some cases several treatments are necessary. Since laser treatment is painful, a local anaesthetic can be applied before the treatment.

After the laser treatment, the skin turns dark, but this discoloration disappears after a few weeks. If removal of the hemangioma in childhood is necessary, these costs are covered by the health insurance. The same applies to hemangiomas in adults as soon as they become symptomatic and cause functional restrictions for the patient. If removal is desired for aesthetic reasons, the costs are usually not covered by health insurance. In most cases this is a laser therapy, which costs between 50 € and 150 € depending on the size.