Haemangioma Health Dictionary

A congenitally determined tissue abnormality. In the SKIN, naevi of blood vessels are best known, but a MOLE is a MELANOCYTE naevus, and warty streaked and linear naevi of the epidermis occasionally occur. There are several patterns of vascular naevi:

Naevus simplex Also known as ‘salmon patch’. About one-third of white children are born with macular pink areas of ERYTHEMA on the nape, brow or eyelids which usually disappear after a few months, but patches on the nape may persist.

Naevus ?ammeus Also known as ‘portwine stain’ and present at birth. It is unilateral, usually on the face, and may be extensive. It tends to darken with age and is permanent. Laser treatment is e?ective.

Strawberry naevus (cavernous haemangioma) is usually not present at birth but appears within a few weeks and grows rapidly, reaching a peak in size after 6–12 months, when the lobulated red nodule may resemble a ripe strawberry. Untreated, the naevus disappears spontaneously over several years. It may occur anywhere and may be very troublesome when occurring around an eye or on the ‘nappy’ area. If possible it should be left alone, but where it is causing problems other than simply cosmetic ones it is best treated by an expert. This may involve medical treatment with steroids or interferon or laser therapy.

Spider naevus is due to a dilated ARTERIOLE causing a minute red papule in the skin, the small branching vessels resembling spider legs. A few spider naevi are common in young people, but multiple naevi are common in pregnancy and may also be a warning sign of chronic liver disease.... naevus

A noncancerous tumour made up of blood vessels (see haemangioma) or lymph vessels (see lymphangioma).... angioma

De Morgan’s spots are a type of small HAEMANGIOMA occuring in the skin of middle-aged people. No more than 3 mm in diameter, they are rarely widespread and are not malignant.... de morgan’s spots

An area of discoloured skin present from birth, or very soon afterwards, such as moles, freckles, and other types of melanocytic naevus (various flat, brown to blue-grey skin patches), strawberry marks, and port-wine stains.

The last 2 are types of haemangioma (malformation of blood vessels).

Strawberry marks often increase in size in the first year, but most disappear after the age of 9 years.

Port-wine stains seldom fade, but laser treatment performed in adulthood can make some of them fade.... birthmark

The deliberate obstruction of a blood vessel in order to stop

internal bleeding or to cut off the blood supply to a tumour. In the latter case, the technique can relieve pain; cause the tumour to shrivel, making surgical removal easier; or stop the tumour from spreading. Embolization can also be used to block flow through vascular abnormalities such as haemangiomas both in the skin and the internal organs. A catheter is introduced into a blood vessel near the one to be blocked and the embolus that will block the vessel is released through the catheter. Emboli are made of materials such as bloodclotting agents or silicone.... embolization

A noncancerous mass, resembling a tumour, which consists of an overgrowth of tissues that are normally found in the affected part of the body. Hamartomas are common in the skin (the most common is a haemangioma), but they also occur in the lungs, heart, or kidneys.... hamartoma

See calculus, urinary tract.

kidney transplant An operation in which a person with chronic kidney failure receives a healthy kidney, either from a living donor or a cadaver. One donor kidney is sufficient to maintain the health of the recipient. The new kidney is placed in the pelvis through an incision in the abdomen and carefully positioned so that it can be connected easily to a nearby vein and artery and to the bladder. The diseased kidneys are left in place. The transplant avoids the need for dialysis and often allows a return to normal lifestyle. Kidney transplantation is more straightforward and common than the transplantation of any other major organ. kidney tumours Growths in the kidney. Kidney tumours may be cancerous (see kidney cancer) or noncancerous. Noncancerous ones, such as fibromas, lipomas, and leiomyomas, are often symptomless, although a haemangioma (composed of a collection of blood vessels) may grow very large and cause blood to appear in the urine. Treatment is usually not needed for noncancerous tumours unless they are large or painful, in which case they may be surgically removed.... kidney stone

Abnormal enlargement of the tongue.

Macroglossia is a feature of Down’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, and acromegaly.

It is also caused by some tumours of the tongue, such as a haemangioma or a lymphangioma.... macroglossia

A purple-red birthmark that is level with the skin’s surface.

It is a permanent type of haemangioma.... port-wine stain

A growth on or in the skin that may be cancerous (see skin cancer) or noncancerous.

Keratoses and squamous papillomas are common types of noncancerous tumour; other types include sebaceous cysts, cutaneous horns, keratoacanthomas, and haemangiomas.... skin tumours

A small, flat, harmless, pinkish-red skin blemish found in many newborn babies.

Such marks, which may be temporary, are a type of haemangioma and are usually found around the eyes and at the nape of the neck.... stork mark

A bright red, raised spot which appears in early infancy. It is a type of haemangioma.... strawberry naevus

The uppermost part of the respiratory tract, and the organ of smell. The nose is an air passage connecting the nostrils at its front to the nasopharynx (the upper part of the throat) at its rear. The nasal septum, which is made of cartilage at the front and bone at the rear, divides the passage into 2 chambers. The bridge of the nose is formed from 2 small nasal bones and from cartilage. The roof of the nasal passage is formed by bones at the base of the skull; the walls by the maxilla (upper jaw); and the floor by the hard palate. Three conchae (thin, downward-curving plates of bone) covered with mucous membrane project from each wall.Air-filled, mucous membrane-lined cavities known as paranasal sinuses open into the nasal passage. There is an opening in each wall to the nasolacrimal duct, which drains away tears. Projecting into the roof of the nasal passage are the hair-like endings of the olfactory nerves, which are responsible for the sense of smell.

A main function of the nose is to filter, warm, and moisten inhaled air before it passes into the rest of the respiratory tract. Just inside the nostrils, small hairs trap large dust particles and foreign bodies. Smaller dust particles are filtered from the air by the microscopic hairs of the conchae. The mucus on the conchae flows inwards, carrying microorganisms and other foreign bodies back towards the nasopharynx to be swallowed and destroyed in the stomach.

The nose detects smells by means of the olfactory nerve endings, which, when stimulated by inhaled vapours, transmit this information to the olfactory bulb in the brain.

The nose is susceptible to a wide range of disorders. Allergies (see rhinitis, allergic), infections such as colds (see cold, common), and small boils are common. Backward spread of infection from the nose occasionally causes a serious condition called cavernous sinus thrombosis. The nose is also particularly prone to injury (see nosebleed; nose, broken). Obstruction of the nose may be caused by a nasal polyp (a projection of swollen mucous membrane).

Noncancerous tumours of blood vessels, known as haemangiomas, commonly affect the nasal cavity in babies. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma may occur around the nostril. The nose may also be invaded by cancers originating in the sinuses.... nose