Hemangioma

Haemangioma
A small hemangioma of infancy
Classification and external resources
Specialty	Dermatology, Gastroenterology
ICD-10	D18.0 (ILDS D18.010)
ICD-9-CM	228.0
ICD-O	M9120/0
DiseasesDB	30033
MedlinePlus	001459
eMedicine	derm/201
MeSH	D006391
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An infantile hemangioma (IH) is one of the most common benign tumors of infancy and occurs in approximately 5–10% of infants. The word "hemangioma" comes from the Greek haema- (αίμα), "blood"; angeio (αγγείο), "vessel"; -oma (-ωμα), "tumor". Infantile hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors composed of an increased number of unique endothelial cells that line blood vessels. They occur more frequently in female, premature and low birth weight infants. Infantile hemangiomas usually appear within the first weeks of life and grow most rapidly during the first three to six months of life. For most hemangiomas, 80% of infantile hemangioma size is generally reached by 3 months of age. Usually, growth and proliferation is complete and involution commences by twelve months of age, however, involution occurs slowly over many years with a majority of infantile hemangioma regression occurring by five years of age. Although infantile hemangiomas spontaneously regress over time, some may leave residual redundant fibrofatty tissue, scar, residual telangiectasia, or pigmentary changes.

The terminology used to define, describe and categorize vascular tumors and malformations has changed over time. The term hemangioma was originally used to describe any vascular tumor-like structure, whether it was present at or around birth or appeared later in life. In 1982, Mulliken and Glowacki proposed a new classification system for vascular anomalies which has been widely accepted and adopted by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA). This classification system was recently updated in 2015. The classification of vascular anomalies is now based upon cellular features, natural history, and clinical behavior of the lesion. Vascular anomalies are divided into vascular tumors/neoplasms which include infantile hemangiomas, and vascular malformations which include entities with enlarged or abnormal vessels such as capillary malformations (port wine stains), venous malformations, and lymphatic malformations. In 2000, GLUT-1, a specific immunohistochemical marker, was found to be positive in infantile hemangiomas and negative in other vascular tumors or malformations. This marker has revolutionized the ability to distinguish between infantile hemangioma and other vascular anomalies.

Infantile hemangiomas typically develop in the first few weeks or months of life. They are more common in Caucasians, in premature children whose birth weight is less than 3 pounds, in females and in twin births. Early lesions may resemble a red scratch or patch, a white patch, or a bruise. The majority of hemangiomas occur on the head and neck, but they can occur almost anywhere. The appearance and color of the hemangioma depends on its location and depth within the level of the skin.

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