What are venous malformations?

Venous malformation is a relatively common vascular disease that often occurs in the patient's cheeks, eyelids and neck. After the onset of the disease, the depth of the venous malformation varies. Some are deeper, and the color of the skin and mucous membranes is generally normal at this time. If it is a relatively shallow venous malformation, it will often appear as blue or purple skin, which has a greater impact on appearance.

1. Microvenous malformation

That is the common port wine stain. It often occurs on the facial skin and is often distributed along the distribution area of ​​the trigeminal nerve. Less oral mucosa. It is bright red or purple, level with the skin surface, and has clear boundaries. They are irregular in shape and vary in size, from small spots to several centimeters. Large ones can extend to one side of the face or cross the midline to the opposite side. When the lesion is pressed with fingers, the surface color fades; when the pressure is released, blood immediately fills up the lesion again, restoring its original size and color.

The so-called midline venous malformation is mainly characterized by lesions located in the midline, most commonly in the neck, followed by the forehead, between the eyebrows, and the philtrum of the upper lip. Unlike port-wine stains, it can fade on its own.

2. Arteriovenous malformation

In the old classification, it was called racemose hemangioma or grape-like hemangioma. It is a tortuous, extremely irregular and pulsating vascular malformation. It is mainly formed by the direct anastomosis of arteries and veins with significantly dilated blood vessel walls, so it is also called congenital arteriovenous malformation.

Arteriovenous malformations are more common in adults and less common in children. It often occurs in the temporal region or subscalp tissue where the superficial temporal artery is located. The lesions are raised and bead-like, and the surface temperature is higher than that of normal skin. The patient may feel the pulsation himself; there is a tremor on palpation and a blowing murmur on auscultation. If all the blood supplying arteries are compressed and blocked, the pulsation and murmur in the affected area will disappear. The tumor can erode the underlying bone or protrude into the skin, causing it to become thinner or even necrotic and hemorrhagic.

Arteriovenous malformations may coexist with other vascular malformations.

3. Treatment options

The treatment of blood vessels or vascular malformations should be determined based on factors such as the type and location of the lesion and the age of the patient. Current treatments include surgical resection, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, cryotherapy, laser therapy, sclerotherapy, and injection of sclerosing agents. Generally, a combination of treatments is used. Hemangiomas in infants and young children should be observed, and if they develop rapidly, timely intervention and treatment should be given.

When the venous malformation is small, there are generally no symptoms. If it continues to develop and grow, it may cause deformation and functional disorders of the face, lips, tongue, etc. If infection occurs, it may cause pain, swelling, ulcers on the surface of the skin or mucous membranes, and there is a risk of bleeding.