Hemangiomas on the head in children often have from birth. With such a pathology, five to ten percent of babies are born. Among premature babies, this problem is even more common. Outwardly, the hemangioma resembles a dark red spot of various sizes. In this article, we will talk about the symptoms, causes and treatment of this disease.
Causes
In some children, hemangioma on the head does not appear immediately after birth, but during the first year of life. In fact, it is a benign tumor consisting of cells that line the walls of blood vessels. This neoplasm can often resolve on its own, so parents should not worry much ahead of time.
Doctors have still not been able to establish reliably, which is why hemangioma appears in children on the head. The reasons for this, apparently, are formed in the embryonic period. Presumably this can be affected by abnormal development of blood vessels.
Also, the causes of hemangiomas in children on the head, according to many doctors, are taking certain medications during pregnancy, bacterial and respiratory viral infections. Therefore, expectant mothers should carefully monitor what they are taking, be sure to consult a doctor.
There are other probable factors that can provoke the appearance of a neoplasm. For example, it is believed that these include the mother's intake of toxic substances, as well as negative environmental conditions.
If you believe the latest studies conducted at the moment, hormonal disorders also lead to the appearance of hemangiomas in children on the head, especially if a girl is born.
Kinds
There are several varieties of this neoplasm. The classification of hemangiomas in children on the head is based on its morphological features.
Specialists distinguish three main categories:
- cavernous, or cavernous;
- simple, or capillary;
- mixed, or combined.
Capillary consists of cells that line the inner walls of the superficial blood vessels. Usually it appears on the scalp of children. Hemangioma in this case is formed no deeper than the epidermal layer. It has a nodular or tuberous flattened structure and fairly clear boundaries. If you press on it, the neoplasm turns pale, and then quickly recovers, again acquiring a purple-bluish tint.
Cavernous hemangioma on the child’s head is located directly under the skin. It includes a large number of cavities that are filled with blood. In newborns, outwardly, such a neoplasm looks like a cyanotic tubercle having an elastic and soft structure. If you press on it, it will turn pale and quickly fall off, as there will be an outflow of blood from the cavities. When the baby is pushing, coughing, or suffers any other tension associated with an increase in blood pressure, the cavernous hemangioma on the child’s head increases in size.
The last variety is a combined hemangioma. In the mixed version, the characteristics inherent in a cavernous and simple tumor are combined. Such a neoplasm includes not only cells of the capillary walls, but also various other tissues - connective, nervous, lymphoid. The combined type has both subcutaneous and superficial parts. At the same time, it progresses in various forms, such as hemlimfangioma, angioneuroma or angiofibroma.
Signs
When you see a photo of a hemangioma on a child’s head, you’ll be convinced that this is a typical neoplasm, it is difficult to confuse it with anything. The clinical picture is very specific. The diagnosis is made immediately at the appointment with a dermatologist. The appearance of a convex hemangioma on a child’s head depends on its type.
If it is simple, then this is a bluish-burgundy tubercle with a knotted structure and clear edges, similar to a wart.
Cavernous is a subcutaneous swelling of a bluish tint. Mixed visually resembles a capillary shape, as it is partially located under the skin.
How to distinguish from a birthmark?
It will be difficult for a non-specialist to independently determine the type of tumor, as well as other defects that may occur on the baby's skin, to understand what it is. A hemangioma in a child may have a different appearance. In some cases, it resembles a birthmark, large nevus or mole, wart.
There is one way to distinguish it from other entities. The symptom of hemangiomas in children on the head is that if you press on it, it will immediately turn pale, as there will be an outflow of blood. Over time, it will restore its color.
All other skin defects do not change colors when pressed. Another sign of hemangioma is the temperature of the tumor. It will be slightly higher than in other areas.
Complications
Hemangioma often appears on the baby’s head from birth. Since this is a benign neoplasm, it almost never leads to dangerous consequences. Most often, it does not increase in size, does not cause any discomfort in newborns, since it is completely painless.
It is worth worrying only if the convex hemangioma on the child’s head begins to grow. True, this is extremely rare. In such a situation, the following consequences of hemangiomas on the child's head should be feared:
- suppuration and infection of the tumor;
- bleeding due to damage or injury;
- ulceration of the neoplasm;
- violation of the functions of neighboring organic structures and tissues due to compression by their hemangioma;
- death or necrosis of the skin.
Expectant Tactics
When a dermatologist makes a diagnosis for a baby, it is important what kind of neoplasm has been established. If this is a simple form of the disease, it will consist solely of vascular cells. Because of this, such a tumor is not prone to growth. Therefore, in most cases, it is recommended to use a wait-and-see tactic so that the neoplasm resolves itself.
In this case, it is necessary to monitor it in a constant mode. Together with the attending physician, parents should ensure that it does not increase in size or grow slowly, in proportion to the body of the newborn, but in no case faster.
As a rule, after some time, capillary hemangioma resolves by itself. This happens as soon as the child is a little older. You need to understand that the regression will occur gradually. First, in the very center of the tumor, a faint pale area will be noticeable, which in color and appearance will be similar to normal skin tone. Gradually, its borders will begin to expand steadily, eventually reaching the borders of the growth itself.
The neoplasm will decrease in size over several years. In most patients, it finally disappears by three or seven years, when the child goes to school.
Radical treatment
With a mixed and cavernous form of pathology, they often resort to more radical methods. The ability to carry out surgical surgery exists from the age of three months.
In exceptional situations, surgery is possible in a newborn who has just been born. There must be good reason for this. For example, a threat to the life of a child or its subsequent health. In this case, the operation can be carried out in the fourth to fifth week of the baby’s life.
There are several ways to treat hemangiomas in children on the head. They differ depending on the size of the neoplasm, the type of disease, the general state of the patient’s health, existing trends in its growth and increase. Based on the list of these factors, the doctor chooses one or another type of therapy. This can be cryodestruction, sclerotherapy, laser removal, electrocoagulation, surgical excision.
We will talk about each of the types of these operations in more detail so that the parents have a full impression of what to expect from a specific surgical intervention.
The most gentle option is sclerosis of hemangiomas in newborns. However, it requires the implementation of several important procedures, without which it will not be possible to achieve a result. Sclerosis is prescribed only if the hemangioma has been diagnosed in a child under the age of one year. The operation is performed when the neoplasm is located on the parotid region, mucous membranes. At the same time, its size should be small. This is a prerequisite. If the tumor is large and grows intensively, the operation is not performed, since there is a risk of ulcers and scars on the skin that will remain for life.
Sclerosis is carried out in several stages. In the process of preparation, the affected area of ​​the body is treated with alcohol, an antiseptic or iodine solution. Then it is important to anesthetize it. To do this, the skin is lubricated with a local anesthetic.
When the drug has worked, the surgeon begins to introduce sclerosant. As the main active substances, as a rule, sodium salicylate and alcohol are used in a ratio of 1 to 3, respectively. In some cases, children may be prescribed urethane-quinine, but this is extremely rare. This drug has high sclerosing abilities. At the same time, it is very toxic, so it is not used on newborns. Injections are made as thin as possible needles, the diameter of which does not exceed half a millimeter. For each manipulation, the doctor carries out several injections. Their final number can be set depending on the size of the benign tumor.
The next step in this procedure is inflammation. Under the influence of the drug, the tumor becomes inflamed and begins to thrombose, being replaced by connective tissue. This process takes from one week to ten days, after which the inflammation subsides, and the procedure is repeated again. For complete resorption, it is required to do from three to fifteen times.
Cryodestruction
This technique is almost painless, the operation is quick, but it is associated with certain complications. With this procedure, hemangioma can be removed only if it is not located on the face.
The doctor acts on the skin with liquid nitrogen, because of this a characteristic scar or some seal may remain on it. It is removed in adulthood by laser resurfacing.
The procedure begins with an antiseptic treatment with iodine or alcohol. Then the skin area is frozen. A jet of liquid nitrogen is introduced into the neoplasm, under the influence of which the hemangioma begins to collapse. In this case, a blister with sterile contents may appear in the area of ​​the defect. This is a standard process for dying off blood vessels. Over time, the blister will decrease in size, and then it will open itself, and a dense crust will appear in this place.
Healing occurs at the rehabilitation stage. The wound should be regularly treated with an antiseptic solution. At this time, the child should swaddle his hands or put on mittens so that he does not tear off the crusts, which should fall off on their own.
Electrocoagulation
Exposure to electric current is a quick and effective method of getting rid of a benign tumor. It is important to know that with the help of electrocoagulation, only simple or cutaneous hemangiomas are treated. To cope with a mixed or cavernous neoplasm, you will have to choose some other method.
The advantage of this type of operation is the ability to eliminate the tumor as quickly as possible - in just one session. At the same time, guaranteed quick healing and minimal risk of wound infection.
The procedure begins with the standard stage of antiseptic skin treatment with iodine or alcohol. Then local anesthesia is performed, and around the place with a hematoma several injections with anesthetic are made. The removal itself occurs by cauterizing the tumor with electric current using a metal nozzle that looks like a loop. Depending on the size of the benign formation, the procedure lasts from one to five minutes.
Then it is important to go through the rehabilitation stage, since a wound covered with a characteristic crust will form in the affected area. She must fall away herself, so the child will need to swaddle his hands so that he does not tear it off.
Laser correction
This is the safest method that has been shown to be highly effective in controlling tumors. Laser removal of the neoplasm is carried out at any age (from the first month of the life of the newborn). This technology allows you to get a good result already from the first session, there is no danger of scar formation, in addition, it stops possible relapses.
The mechanism itself consists in coagulation and evaporation of blood in vessels. Their walls are glued together, and damaged capillaries begin to gradually dissolve.
After antiseptic treatment of the skin, the lesion site is anesthetized with an anesthetic. The tumor is irradiated with a laser beam. After the procedure, a bandage with a healing ointment is applied. At the rehabilitation stage, parents should regularly treat the wound with antiseptics, apply healing ointments and creams, and not allow self-tearing of crusts.
Surgical method
Radical surgery is required in rare cases when the tumor has affected the deeper layers of the skin. Before removing the hemangioma, it is recommended to undergo sclerosis or other preparatory procedures to minimize the size of the growth.
With anesthesia, general or local anesthesia is used. The surgeon cuts the hemangioma by excision, and the layer of healthy tissues around it is also eliminated to eliminate the likelihood of relapse. The wound is washed and carefully handled.
A sterile dressing with a healing and antibacterial ointment is applied to the damaged area.
The rehabilitation period can last several weeks. If you organize the right care, then you can completely avoid scars in the future or they will be almost invisible.