Today, facial hemangioma is considered a fairly common problem. By the way, it is often found in children in the first days or months of life. Therefore, many people are interested in questions about what constitutes such an education. How dangerous can this structure be? What treatment methods does modern medicine offer? This information will be useful to many readers.
What is hemangioma?
Hemangioma of the face is a fairly common problem. But what is a neoplasm? In fact, it is nothing more than a benign vascular tumor. Most often, a similar ailment is diagnosed in children immediately after birth. Sometimes spots on the skin become more noticeable after a few days. But in adults, such neoplasms rarely occur.
According to statistics, out of a hundred newborns, at least one has such a tumor on the body. By the way, girls are diagnosed with the disease 2 to 3 times more often than boys. In most cases, hemangioma is not a serious threat. However, diagnosis and treatment are necessary in this case.
The main causes of neoplasm
To date, it is not known why hemangioma of the face appears. However, doctors and researchers have some theories. It is believed that in this case, children have a certain genetic predisposition, although this theory is far from always true.
In addition, doctors list mother’s illnesses during pregnancy, for example, colds or other acute respiratory infections, as well, especially in the first 3-6 weeks. It is also believed that taking certain pharmaceuticals by a woman while carrying a child can also affect the development of his vascular system. On the other hand, a hemangioma of the face can be the result of hormonal characteristics of the body, because in some children this neoplasm disappears by itself in adolescence.
The main symptoms of the disease
Hemangioma of the face (photo) may look different. For example, a tumor may be located on the surface of the skin. In such cases, it looks like a red spot with clear edges. The surface of the neoplasm can be either smooth or bumpy depending on the shape of the tumor. Sometimes a hemangioma is located below the surface of the skin and resembles a small bluish tubercle.
Modern neoplasm classification schemes
Modern medicine uses many hemangioma classification systems depending on their shape, size, location and structure. For example, a capillary tumor consists of small capillaries, looks like a reddish spot on the surface of the skin.
Cavernous hemangioma is formed from larger vessels - veins and arteries. Most often, such a neoplasm is located in the deeper layers of the skin and has the appearance of a cyanotic tubercle. There is also a mixed form of the tumor, which is a plexus of various vessels and connective tissues.
Cavernous hemangiomas and their features
If the child has hemangioma on his face, then it is quite possible that this is a cavernous form of the tumor, since it is one of the most common. Such a neoplasm can either have a skin color, or acquire a reddish, even bluish tint (if it is located deep in the skin layers). In some cases, the tumor may combine with capillary hemangioma. Neoplasms can be either single or multiple.
In most cases, this form of the tumor spontaneously resolves by itself during puberty. Cavernous hemangioma can be both venous and arterial.
What diagnostics will be required?
Most often, in the first days after birth, you can notice that the baby has hemangioma on his face. In adulthood, such neoplasms are formed extremely rarely. First of all, the patient needs a surgeon's examination. After that, the doctor will prescribe the necessary studies. In particular, you will need to pass standard tests. In addition, an ultrasound examination of the neoplasm is an extremely important diagnostic procedure. Such testing allows you to determine the volume and depth of the tumor, as well as to study its structure and location features in relation to the vessels, nerve endings, muscles and other neighboring tissues.
In the presence of deep, extensive neoplasms, angiography must be performed. Only after receiving all the data, the doctor will be able to prescribe an adequate and effective treatment.
Hemangioma of the face: treatment
It is immediately worth noting that only a specialist can deal with the treatment of such a disease - it is strictly forbidden to use traditional medicine methods before consulting a doctor.
Today, many parents are interested in how hemangiomas are removed in children. In fact, it is unlikely that the doctor will immediately prescribe a similar procedure, since in many small patients, such neoplasms resolve on their own. In addition, childhood is a contraindication to many methods of treatment. However, the child should be monitored regularly by a doctor.
Removal of hemangiomas in children or in adult patients can be carried out in several ways - it all depends on the size, features and location of the hemangioma. For example, to eliminate small tumors, the method of vascular sclerotization is used, in which a special preparation - sclerosant (for example, 70% alcohol) is introduced into the neoplasm. This technique is quite simple to use and affordable, but its disadvantages are the duration and pain of the procedure.
Small tumors can also be removed by cryo-freezing, when tissues of a pathologically altered structure are exposed to liquid nitrogen. This procedure is also accompanied by soreness, and sometimes after it a trace may remain on the skin. However, the positive aspects include the almost instantaneous effect and accessibility.
Naturally, these are far from all the ways with which you can get rid of such an unpleasant problem as hemangioma of the face. Treatment may be by electrocoagulation. By the way, this technique is indispensable if the tumor bleeds profusely.
Today, laser therapy is becoming increasingly popular, which has a lot of undeniable advantages, including a quick effect, painlessness, the absence of scars on the skin, etc. Surgical excision of hemangiomas is also possible, but today a similar technique is rarely used.
By the way, along with various methods of removal, hormonal treatment can be prescribed to patients, which helps reduce the size of the hemangioma, as well as prevent its re-formation.
Indications for surgical intervention
As already mentioned, in most cases, laser therapy methods are used to eliminate neoplasms. Surgical removal is more likely the exception to the rule. However, in some cases, surgery is necessary. Hemangioma on the face is subject to surgical excision if:
- a rapidly growing neoplasm strongly compresses surrounding structures, for example, vessels or nerve endings;
- hemangioma greatly increased in size and its diameter reached 5 centimeters;
- the patient complains of pain in the area of the neoplasm;
- hemangioma grows very rapidly (increases by more than 50-60% per year);
- the tumor bursts and begins to bleed;
- in the process of diagnosis, it was not possible to establish the nature of the origin of the neoplasm;
What is the danger of such a neoplasm?
In most cases, a person’s hemangioma does not constitute a threat to human health or life. With the formation of these tumors, no changes are observed at the cellular level. Nevertheless, such a neoplasm on the skin of the face gives a person a lot of inconvenience, creating certain complexes about the appearance.
But in some cases, such a tumor can become dangerous. For example, an expanding hemangioma often compresses blood vessels, disrupting normal tissue trophism. Pinched nerve endings are also possible, which is also accompanied by pain and other symptoms.
Hemangioma on the face is constantly amenable to the influence of the external environment. Often, her tissues are damaged by mechanical factors and begin to bleed. In this place, ideal conditions are created for the penetration and vital activity of the infection. In patients with diabetes mellitus, ulcers often form on the site of the tumor, which heal for a very long time.
If hemangioma appeared in adults on the face, then there is a small chance of its malignant degeneration. That is why with a similar problem you need to see a doctor - in no case should you ignore the problem or try to remove the tumor yourself, at home.