Hemangioma in a newborn is a fairly common phenomenon that does not require special medication and passes through a certain time on its own, without the intervention of parents and specialists. If this does not happen, you must show the child to a family doctor.
What is hemangioma?
Benign hemangioma (non-cancerous) - a tumor consisting of blood vessels. There are many types of this disease, and they can occur throughout the body, including on the skin, muscles, bones, and internal organs.
Most hemangiomas occur on or under the surface of the skin. They often develop on the face and neck and can vary greatly in color, shape and size.
Since hemangiomas very rarely become malignant, most of them do not require any treatment. However, some species can be disfiguring, and many people seek medical attention for cosmetic reasons. In most cases, hemangioma treatment is not associated with surgery. Cases where surgery may be required include tumors that are located deep in the muscles or bone, or tumors on the skin that cause problems with vision, breathing, or eating.
Causes of hemangiomas in newborns
Science does not have a definite answer about why hemangioma occurs. It is generally accepted that the occurrence of this benign tumor is associated with a number of vascular disorders in the fetus during fetal development.
The formation of vascular tissue begins in the fifth week of pregnancy. After the formation of blood vessels, a certain amount of immature (undeveloped) vascular tissue remains, which disappears with time.
This process is physiologically normal and normal. But, with developmental disruption, the tissues do not disappear, as expected, but, on the contrary, begin to grow rapidly. Thus, the formation of hemangioma.
Lack of oxygen or hypoxia triggers the growth of a vascular tumor. That is why hemangioma is found in newborns or manifests itself in the first weeks of life. Moreover, hemangioma can be localized in different places both on the surface of the skin and inside the organs.
In the course of statistical studies, it was found that in girls hemangioma occurs more often than in boys. Scientifically, this pattern of explanation has not yet received.
Depending on the reasons, there are several types of hemangiomas in newborns.
Capillary hemangioma
It is a neoplasm of a bloody color, formed on the skin. But, in rare cases, it also occurs on internal organs.
Because of this disease, the liver and spine suffer. Often occurs in infants. The disease is not life threatening. Hemangiomas do not give metastases, unlike malignant tumors. Capillary hemangioma is considered a tumor, but benign.
It turns out capillary hemangioma in newborns from altered blood vessels. It does not require treatment and passes away suddenly, but pigmentation remains on the skin. Roughness appears at the site of hemangioma. Skin color is red or purple. In newborns, it occurs immediately after birth, but with time it becomes larger. By five years, the abyss itself may.
Hemangioma often appears directly on the face. The worst option is if the formation has arisen around the eye. The disease is rare and occurs in two percent of the population. Mostly women are ill, men are rare.
Classification:
- Segmented. Huge sizes and growing rapidly.
- Localized. It affects one thing on the body and is small in size.
- It happens superficial, forming only on the skin, red.
- Deep To be in the skin cells.
- Mixed. It is formed both on the surface of the skin and inside.
Reasons for this kind
The main causes of hemangiomas in newborns include:
- Violation in the development of the fetus - capillaries are divided incorrectly.
- Lack of oxygen in the skin.
- Heredity, transmitted from relatives who have hemangiomas.
At risk are people with white skin. Mothers at a young age have a chance to give birth to a child with hemangioma. Also, babies born with low birth weight, premature babies, have a chance of this disease.
Treatment
Treatment should be started if the disease itself has not passed by the age of ten. The tumor is very large and does not stop growing. Blood poisoning occurs. It interferes with proper work in the body or simply interferes with aesthetics.
Complications
In most cases, hemangioma is not dangerous. But there are unpleasant sensations if it starts to grow.
Cavernous hemangioma
Cavernous hemangioma in newborns is a disease in which vascular proliferation occurs, cells accumulate, and a tumor forms. It is considered dangerous because blood clots may form in the neoplasm. Its location is most often located in the neck and head.
Often occurs even in the fetal life of the fetus, as there is an abnormal development of blood vessels and the circulatory system.
Causes of Cavernous Hemangioma
Provoking factors:
- birth trauma;
- aborted fetus;
- bad habits (alcohol, smoking, drug addiction);
- past illnesses during pregnancy;
- ecology.
It was also found that this disease is not hereditary.
Education can be dangerous if it is located near the eyes, mouth, ear or genitals.
When tumor growth is noted, then it can put pressure on neighboring organs and disrupt their work. For example, if the hemangioma in newborns on the face is located near the eye, then this can lead to blindness with improper treatment.
The next danger is trauma to the tumor. This will lead to heavy bleeding. In old age, people most often have diabetes mellitus, and this, in turn, is dangerous for hemangiomas by infection, and ulcers on the skin can appear.
With the location of the tumor in the liver, the danger may lie in its rupture. This will cause internal bleeding, and in this condition a person may die.
Symptoms of the disease:
- The tumor will grow into the deep layers, thereby causing internal hemangioma in newborns.
- Its appearance has not clear boundaries and can occupy a fairly large area.
- The color is red or burgundy, in rare cases with a purple tint.
- Bleeding can occur that is difficult to stop, and there is a risk of wound infection.
Hemangioma in newborns on the head or any other part of the body is painless and the patient does not feel unpleasant sensations.
Diagnosis and treatment of cavernous hemangioma
When the first signs of this disease appear, it is recommended to consult a doctor. A good specialist makes a diagnosis based on patient complaints and symptoms.
In the future, the tumor is monitored, if it is actively growing, then the doctor may prescribe surgical treatment. But most often the intervention is carried out if it disrupts the work of other organs and is large.
The treatment of hemangiomas in newborns is mainly complex and is selected individually for each patient. The patient's age and degree of damage are taken into account.
In general, this is a serious disease that requires treatment, if you ignore it, then there may be complications.
Combined hemangioma
Combined hemangioma is an acute manifestation of benign formations that are usually expressed on the epidermis or tissues of internal organs. Unlike simple hemangioma, combined is a combination of it with cavernous, that is, a rash of bright red tumors both on the skin and under it. The disease is becoming an increasingly common ailment for young children, on average one in ten babies faces this problem. Such a hemangioma in newborns grows quite quickly and requires consultation with a specialist.
The causes of the combined hemangioma are not exactly established, but there is a connection with the course and transfer of acute respiratory diseases.
Methods of treating hemangiomas in newborns can be divided into two groups - surgical and therapeutic.
The first include various types of operations - laser removal, irradiation, elimination of the focus by electricity.
The second is medication and vaccination.
The method of treatment is always individual, consultation of an experienced specialist is necessary. Most often, the result of hormone therapy.
Corticosteroid treatment is also effective by administering injections directly to the tumor site or in the form of preparations orally.
Diagnosis of hemangioma
Hemangioma in newborns on the head or other part of the body is a benign tumor that can be located not only on the skin, but also on the surface of the internal organs or inside them. If hemangioma is suspected, it is imperative to consult a surgeon. A doctor will conduct a visual examination, questions will be asked about when the tumor appeared, how much it changed from the moment it appeared (hemangiomas rapidly increase in size). Consultations of narrow specialists can be appointed to confirm the diagnosis or identify additional concomitant characteristics of the neoplasm.
So, if a neoplasm is suspected to be a malignant tumor, an oncologist consultation will be scheduled. It may require the conclusion of a dermatologist and an infectious disease specialist. To diagnose hemangiomas, ultrasound research, computed tomography, MRI, as well as methods of thermometry and thermography are used.
The exact research method remains MRI. During its conduct, the structure of the hemangioma, as well as the state of the tissues near it, is studied.
For laboratory tests, blood sampling will be necessary for a general analysis.
Hemangioma Complications
Hemangioma Complications:
- Ulceration is the formation of an ulcer.
- Phlebitis disease, which is characterized by inflammation of the veins and its walls, as the permeability of the wall changes.
- External bleeding.
- Internal bleeding.
- Thrombocytopenia is a condition characterized by a decrease in platelet count.
- Joining an infection (secondary infection) is characterized by an inflammation process due to the ingestion of a completely different bacterium, for example, staphylococcus.
- Decreased organ function.
Hemangioma Treatment
The possibility of treating hemangiomas and a treatment plan can only be discussed after consulting a surgeon.
It is advisable to get an appointment with an oncologist to obtain the necessary conclusions. Hemangioma belongs to the group of childhood diseases, as it manifests itself in the first days and weeks of a child’s life. Hemangioma can be diagnosed in a newborn. This type of tumor remains unstudied to the end to this day, so there is no single algorithm of behavior and treatment.
There is a certain percentage of cases when the hemangioma regressed and completely disappeared by itself, without visible external factors and influences. In any case, each parent decides for himself what to do with this disease, remove, treat, or wait for the tumor to disappear on its own. There are a number of treatments for hemangiomas, acting with varying degrees of success.
If germination of hemangiomas into the tissues is detected, a sclerotherapy method will be prescribed.
A special composition is introduced into the body of the hemangioma and blocks the growth and vital activity of blood vessels. Under the influence of the drug, the tumor loses its ability to degenerate. Within a few weeks, the hemangioma will decrease in size until it disappears completely.
With laser treatment, the vessels of the hemangiomas stick together, losing the ability to function. After this, the neoplasm disappears without leaving a trace. This procedure is painless and has no age restrictions. This method of treatment is also good because it makes it possible to remove hemangiomas in the most inaccessible places.
Until recently, the method of radiation therapy was widely used. However, now it is considered obsolete and unpopular. Since certain doses of radiation are used, there is a high probability of side effects and disturbances of the skin. In addition, in most cases, the hemangioma will not be completely removed.
There is a method of hormone therapy, however, the use is permissible in emergency cases, if the tumor is located near vital organs. Pills and hormonal ointments are used. But this method does not always give a result.
Surgical intervention gives high results in the fight against the tumor. But there is a risk of severe bleeding. In addition, for children up to a year, it is carried out under general anesthesia.