hemangioma

A hemangioma is a benign congenital tumor of mature blood vessels. It may be composed of capillaries, the very tiniest blood vessels, as with a strawberry or mulberry birthmarks. Or it may be composed of larger vessels, for example cavernous hemangioma.

Hemangiomas are present in perhaps 10% of all babies born. Sixty percent of them are located in the head and neck region. They have a phase of rapid growth that lasts 6-10 months, followed by gradual shrinkage or involution that lasts several years. About 50% of hemangiomas are essentially gone in five years, and perhaps 90% or more by ten years of age.

Types of hemangiomas reviewed here include stork bite or nevus simplex, port wine stain, strawberry or mulberry birthmarks, and cavernous hemangiomas.

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