Types and hazards of venous hemangioma

Most venous hemangiomas are congenital and occur frequently in infants and adolescents, but there are also many middle-aged and elderly patients. If the venous hemangioma is smaller than 1 cm, temporary observation may be considered. In a few patients, the disease may disappear on its own. However, if the venous hemangioma grows rapidly, surgical removal should be performed promptly. Because venous hemangiomas may rupture and bleed or cause embolism, they must be treated urgently in clinical practice.

Benign tumors arising from vascular tissue are called hemangiomas, 80% of which are congenital. Hemangiomas can be divided into several types: capillary hemangioma, cavernous hemangioma, mixed hemangioma, racemose hemangioma, etc.

Capillary hemangioma and its hazards

It is relatively common and is a vascular malformation. It is composed of a network of dilated and proliferating capillaries, including strawberry hemangiomas and port-wine stains (commonly known as red birthmarks). It is more common in baby girls.

Symptom description: Strawberry hemangiomas are mostly red spots or small red spots that appear on the skin at birth or early after birth, gradually increase in size, deepen in red color and bulge out above the surface of normal skin; port-wine stains are mostly red patches that are not higher than the skin surface. The common point between the two is that the tumor has clear boundaries, and may fade slightly when pressed, and return to red after release.

Harmful effects: On the one hand, it affects the appearance. If it does not disappear, it may spread with the growth and development of the patient, and it is easy to rupture and bleed, and cause secondary infection. On the one hand, it may continue to develop subcutaneously, compressing the subcutaneous organs and tissues, causing changes in the morphology and function of the subcutaneous organs and tissues, and severely compressing the nerves, causing pain.

Cavernous hemangioma and its hazards

For superficial cavernous hemangiomas, the local skin may be bulging, uneven, and the skin surface may appear slightly blue or light purple, with varicose and coiled blood vessels vaguely visible. For deeper cavernous hemangiomas that do not affect the skin, there may be no obvious change in skin color except for some mild to moderate bulging with irregular shapes in some areas. Cavernous hemangioma can also be seen in the submucosal layer, and the mucosal surface appears dark blue. The tumor is compressible and its size may change with changes in body position.

Susceptible groups: More common in baby girls. It often increases in size during childhood or adolescence but does not increase significantly in adulthood.

Symptom description: In addition to being located in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, lesions can also occur under the mucosa, muscles and even bones. Vascular damage generally develops slowly, and most venous malformations are cavernous, hence the name cavernous hemangioma.

Harmful effects: Cavernous hemangioma will not disappear on its own and will only grow indefinitely. If the affected area is on the head or face, it will affect the appearance and may even cause deformity in severe cases. Cavernous hemangioma can also cause space-occupying lesions, compress nerves, tendons, other tissues and organs, and cause complications such as pain and deformity. Cavernous hemangioma in the limbs can cause swelling and deformity of the affected limbs, and even invade the joints, causing functional disorders and other acquired disabilities. Cavernous hemangioma can cause muscle atrophy in the limbs, making the affected limb smaller than the normal limb.

Mixed hemangioma and its hazards

It is a type of hemangioma such as capillary hemangioma, cavernous hemangioma, or two or more hemangiomas that exist together at the same time.

Symptom description: At the beginning, most of them are small red spots of varying sizes on the skin surface, which are no different from simple strawberry hemangiomas. However, as the surface hemangioma develops, it invades the dermis and subcutaneous tissue at the same time. The range of subcutaneous invasion can exceed the surface lesion area, forming a raised mass with irregular shape, which is more common on the face and limbs.

Harmful effects: Mixed hemangioma is a very serious type of hemangioma. It will invade the subcutaneous tissue and grow around blood vessels and nerves. As the hemangioma grows larger and thicker, it may compress the nerves and cause the patient to suffer unbearable pain, vascular ischemia, and tissue necrosis. If it grows in the joints of bone tissue, it will cause complications such as joint pain, movement disorders, and joint stiffness. Once the above complications occur, it is difficult to return to normal.

Racemose hemangioma and its hazards

Racemose hemangioma is composed of abnormal blood vessels that are varicose, winding, and coiled like intestinal loops. Varicose blood vessels can be seen, which are easily misdiagnosed as cavernous hemangioma clinically.

Symptom description: It is common in the lips and limbs. A round or oval raised mass can be seen, the skin is sometimes flushed, the skin may be purple-gray, and the pulsation and peristalsis of tortuous blood vessels can be vaguely seen under the skin. You can feel a tremor when you touch it, and you can feel cord-like, soft, enlarged blood vessels and pulsation. The local temperature increases. The swelling shrinks when you put pressure on it, and the pulsation disappears when you press it tightly.

Harmful effects: Because the subcutaneous nerves can be entangled with hemangiomas, the hemangiomas will pull on the nerves and cause pain when they pulsate. Invasion of the skin can cause local ulcers, bleeding and infection, causing deformities. They can invade and destroy the outer skull plate veins and connect with the internal skull veins.