HEMANGIOMAS OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Infantile hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors commonly observed in children. They occur most commonly on the head and neck.

Hemangiomas happen when developing blood vessels grow incorrectly, forming tumor-like growths. They aren’t cancerous, and they’re usually not dangerous. But when they form in the wrong place, you might need treatment to prevent complications.

They don’t spread to other parts of your body and aren’t cancer. It’s also extremely rare for hemangiomas to turn malignant.

The two most common types of hemangiomas are:

* Capillary. These appear on the outer layers of the skin.

* Cavernous. These form in deeper layers of skin, often around the eyes. When they grow near the eyes, they can sometimes affect eye development or function.

Hemangiomas on lower face and neck may press on critical structures like windpipe, cutting off air.

Infantile hemangiomas commonly go away, so they need monitoring only.

However, vascular malformations of the head and neck can cause cosmetic and functional disturbances. These may lead to enormous psychosocial problems for patients and their families. Various treatment options are available depending upon the vascular dynamics of the lesion.

Laser treatments can stop superficial hemangiomas from growing or even shrink them and may also be able to reduce discoloration.