hemangioma

A hemangioma or haemangioma is a usually benign vascular tumor derived from blood vessel cell types. The most common form, seen in infants, is an infantile hemangioma, known colloquially as a "strawberry mark", most commonly presenting on the skin at birth or in the first weeks of life. A hemangioma can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly appears on the face, scalp, chest or back. They tend to grow for up to a year before gradually shrinking as the child gets older. A hemangioma may need to be treated if it interferes with vision or breathing or is likely to cause long-term disfigurement. In rare cases internal hemangiomas can cause or contribute to other medical problems. They usually disappear by 10 years of age. The first line treatment option is beta blockers, which are highly effective in the majority of cases. Hemangiomas present at birth are called congenital hemangiomas, while those that form later in life are called infantile hemangiomas.

==Types== thumb|Hemangioma on a child's arm. thumb|Hemangioma covering half of the face, including the lips and the tongue Hemangiomas are benign (noncancerous) vascular tumors, and many different types occur. The correct terminology for these hemangioma types is constantly being updated by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA). The most common are infantile hemangiomas, and congenital hemangiomas.