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What is a Hemangioma?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

A hemangioma is a cluster or bundle of small veins that have become bunched together and dilated. Most often, people refer to the hemangiomas that are present on newborns and young children, especially on the neck and face. They can occur elsewhere in the body, such as in the liver or even the spine, but they tend to be relatively harmless because they usually resolve without treatment.

Any hemangioma is considered a tumor. They are benign, and the name tumor reflects the abnormal growth of certain types of cells. In most cases, what occurs is that endothelial cells (cells that line blood vessels) grow abnormally. This type of tumor is also called self-involuting, because the abnormal growth stops at some point, and the tumor begins to recede. It can still leave a residual red mark, sometimes as large as 2-3 inches (5.08-7.62 cm), after the tumor involutes.

A hemangioma may be treated with laser surgery.
A hemangioma may be treated with laser surgery.

In infants, this tumor present on the skin may start out as a flat mark, which is bluish or pink in appearance. This can then lead to growth of what looks like a raised or fatty red tumor. These growths on an infant’s skin can spread very rapidly, but they usually don’t get larger than 2-3 inches in diameter. They are not painful, but sometimes they are prone to bleeding or breaking open. A very fast growing hemangioma may occasionally cause an open sore, which should be evaluated by a physician. Growth of the tumor may end by the time a child is five, and the skin is flat again — although still discolored— in most kids by the time they are nine years old.

Hemangiomas are most common on newborns and young children, and appear on the face or neck.
Hemangiomas are most common on newborns and young children, and appear on the face or neck.

Most growths do not require removal or treatment, since they will recede on their own. However, if they are large, they can be seen as disfiguring to the otherwise pretty face of a child. Some parents opt to have them removed, and in some cases, physicians recommend removal because a hemangioma keeps bleeding or because it is obscuring vision if it is growing near one of the eyes.

Laser treatment may be used to encourage the breakdown of a cherry hemangioma.
Laser treatment may be used to encourage the breakdown of a cherry hemangioma.

The treatment options available for removing a hemangioma or for slowing its growth include using cortisone injections, though this treatment carries some risks like potentially slowing the growth of the child. Laser surgery can be used to remove a growth that keeps opening and bleeding, and may help with growths that are creating open sores.

Sometimes a hemangioma will grow in the deeper layers of the skin and it tends to appear as a bluish mark on part of the skin. Others grow both below and above the skin’s surface. The Mayo Clinic recommends carefully considering whether to opt for surgical removal, since it comes with it’s own set of risks, and may still leave residual scarring. Furthermore, in many cases, it is not medically necessary to remove these growths because they will eventually heal themselves.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon74533

What about Hemangiomas of the scalp in adults?

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    • A hemangioma may be treated with laser surgery.
      By: mkrberlin
      A hemangioma may be treated with laser surgery.
    • Hemangiomas are most common on newborns and young children, and appear on the face or neck.
      By: sweetlaniko
      Hemangiomas are most common on newborns and young children, and appear on the face or neck.
    • Laser treatment may be used to encourage the breakdown of a cherry hemangioma.
      By: spotmatikphoto
      Laser treatment may be used to encourage the breakdown of a cherry hemangioma.
    • Back pain or tingling may be symptoms of a spinal hemangioma.
      By: Rob
      Back pain or tingling may be symptoms of a spinal hemangioma.