‘Hemangioma’, a skin disease in which blood vessels are bundled in the skin and look red, is a relatively common skin disease that occurs in one in ten newborns. It can occur anywhere on the body, including the face, head, torso, and limbs. Although it is a benign tumor that does not progress to cancer, it is a concern for many parents as it varies in size and shape depending on the type.
Infant Hemangioma Affects One in Ten Newborns｜Source: Getty Image Bank
It occurs in 1 in 10 newborns and 90% is spontaneous regression
Infantile hemangioma looks like a spot or swollen blood vessel at first, then grows larger and looks like a red lump protruding convexly and dividing into several small lumps. It is one of the most common benign tumors in children and is also called strawberry hemangioma because it resembles a strawberry shape. It occurs at birth or within a week after birth, increases from several months to a year, and then gradually disappears.
90% of infant hemangioma gradually degenerates into adipose tissue or fibrous tissue over about 10 years after 12 months of age and disappears. However, even if it degenerates, scars may remain, and complications such as ulcers, bleeding, infection, and dysfunction occur in about 10%.
Infantile hemangiomas are classified into superficial (aka strawberry hemangioma), deep, and mixed hemangioma according to the invading characteristics. Depending on the size, number, and distribution of hemangioma, it is divided into local type, extensive type, and multiple type.
Hwang Gyu-gwang (Soyeon Dermatology Clinic), a dermatology consultant at Haidak, said, “Infant hemangioma sometimes disappears on its own over time, but it can grow in size or leave sequelae, and immediate treatment can cause regression of the lesion, so it is important to prevent complications. It helps,” he said.
It is common to suppress the growth of hemangioma using steroids or injections, and in severe cases, laser treatment or surgical removal is required. Laser treatment has a stronger penetrating effect the younger you are, so it is better to get treatment early.
Most common in girls, premature babies, and low birth weight babies
Hemangiomas are caused by abnormal proliferation of endothelial cells in blood vessels. However, the exact cause of how hemangioma develops has not yet been elucidated. However, there are only hypotheses that it occurs due to proliferation of vascular endothelial stem cells under the influence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) due to hypoxia in the placenta during pregnancy, embolism of placental vascular endothelial stem cells, and activation of the renin-angiotensin system. However, it has been found that at least certain risk factors are more likely to occur.
According to the paper ‘Analysis of risk factors for infant hemangiomas in neonatal intensive care unit patients’ by Professor Jaehong Oh’s team at the Department of Dermatology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, published in 2021, it is not well known how hemangioma develops, but it is not well known yet in girls, premature babies, and underweight. The incidence was higher in the case of live births and multiple pregnancies.
As a result of analyzing 1,206 patients and mothers admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, the research team showed infant hemangioma in a total of 37 newborns. Among them, there were 14 boys (37.8%) and 23 girls (62.2%), about 1.6 times more girls than boys.
Infant hemangioma appeared most frequently in the trunk (33.3%), followed by the head and neck (29.4%), extremities (27.5%), perineum (5.9%), and face (3.9%). Among 37 patients with infant hemangiomas, 51.4% (19 patients) were very premature, 43.2% (16 patients) were premature, and 5.4% (2 patients) were full-term.
It is said that it will heal on its own, but if left as it is, it will affect the occurrence of other diseases
Usually, hemangioma grows gradually from 1 month after birth, goes through a proliferative phase of rapid growth, and then disappears naturally after passing through a regression phase from 12 months of age. Hemangioma penetrates the skin most of the time, and most commonly occurs on the face and skin in the order of frequency: 60% of the head and neck, 25% of the trunk, and 15% of the limbs. do. However, the symptoms may not go away and may persist, which can cause various problems.
Hemangiomas around the eyes can enlarge and cover the baby’s eyes, and if the period is prolonged, vision loss or astigmatism may occur. Hemangiomas in the nose, chin, or neck can make it difficult to breathe, and hemangiomas that spread widely in the back can accompany various diseases such as deformities of the spine or spinal cord. In particular, if you have multiple hemangiomas that appear in five or more, it can be dangerous because it is likely to be located not only on the skin but also elsewhere in the body. In addition, there may be loose skin or bleeding, and if bleeding continues for a long time, abnormalities in the heart may occur.
In addition to infantile hemangiomas, there are hemangiomas with various shapes and characteristics. As hemangioma can be classified into several types, the treatment is also different.
◈ Cavernous hemangioma
It is a corpus cavernosum-shaped mass of capillaries, accounting for 5-10% of all central nervous system vascular malformations. It can appear in any part of any age, but it mainly appears in adults, and it often occurs on the face and neck.
It is larger and deeper than strawberry hemangioma, and it is red when the lesion is on the surface of the skin and blue when it is deep in the skin. Most are asymptomatic, but seizures may occur, and in severe cases, cranial nerve disorders or bleeding may occur. It is very unlikely that it will heal on its own, so you should seek treatment as soon as possible. Representative treatments include surgical treatment and laser treatment, and radiosurgery is performed when bleeding occurs or there is a high risk of nerve damage.
◈ Flame birthmark
It is a birthmark with a shape and color like a flame, and it appears as a malformation of the capillaries and gets worse with age. It is usually distributed on one side of the body, and mostly appears on the face, neck, and limbs, and unlike hemangioma, it does not disappear spontaneously. The color gets darker and it may protrude like a wart, and it may accompany other blood vessel abnormalities. It usually requires multiple treatments using a laser.
◈Cherry hemangioma
Unlike strawberry hemangioma, which occurs at a young age, the number of hemangiomas increases with age after onset. It is believed to be related to the aging of our body, and is also called senile hemangioma or cherry hemangioma. It appears more often on the body, such as the arms or chest, rather than the face, and initially sticks to the surface of the skin in a flat shape, then becomes more prominent as time goes on.
It does not necessarily need to be removed, but laser treatment is sometimes used for cosmetic reasons. For cherry hemangioma, sufficient sleep, regular life, and moderate exercise are important, and it is good to delay aging by steadily consuming foods rich in antioxidants.
Help = Director Hwang Kyu-gwang, counseling doctor at Haidak (Dermatologist at Stylish Dermatology Clinic)
<저작권©언론사 하이닥, 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지>