Cavernous hemangioma affects the vessels of the skin, subcutaneous tissue or soft tissues. This formation looks like a soft tumor of a spongy consistency. Cavernous hemangioma in children at birth is not visible. Lymphatic vessels and capillaries are often involved in the development of the defect.
In some cases, cavernous hemangioma is combined with varicose veins, flaming nevus and arteriovenous fistulas. As a rule, there are no complaints in patients, but dysfunction of a hypertrophied limb is possible. This disease has a pronounced cosmetic defect. On the skin there are elements of a rash, tumor-like formations of soft tissues that have a lobed or domed shape. The sizes of education can be very different, their boundaries are blurred. Cavernous hemangioma adjacent to the epidermis has a warty surface. The color of the skin in the affected areas often does not differ from a healthy shade. With pressure on the hemangioma, a fossa forms, which quickly disappears.
Cavernous hemangioma is of several types.
- vascular hamartoma is located deep in the soft tissues and is accompanied by an increase or swelling of the limb. Possible atrophy of skeletal muscle. On examination, arteriovenous fistulas and dilated branched veins are found;
- Klippel-Trenone syndrome is a combination of hemangioma with hypertrophy of soft tissues and bones. Symptoms: varicose veins, enlargement of the limbs, flaming nevus. Defect can be combined with polydactyly, syndactyly and linear nevus;
- Blue vesicular nevus is located in the subcutaneous tissue and dermis. It looks like a tumor-like formation of soft blue consistency. Sizes range from a few millimeters to centimeters. In the field of hemangioma, increased sweating is possible. Most often, hemangiomas are located on the trunk and shoulders. Very often they are found in the gastrointestinal tract, where they cause intestinal bleeding;
- Mafucci syndrome is a combination of multiple hemangiomas with chondroplasia. Deficiency is manifested in bone deformation and the formation of hard nodules on the toes and hands. The diagnosis is established on the basis of the clinical picture and confirmed by angiography. Complications of hemangiomas can be secondary infections, scarring, bleeding, ulceration. With a large tumor, heart failure occurs, accompanied by high cardiac output.
Cavernous hemangioma: treatment
The main method of treatment is the application of pressure dressings, wearing elastic stockings, pneumatic compression. With large hemangiomas or with impaired function of internal organs, embolization or excision of cavernous hemangioma is performed. Interferon and corticosteroids are also used in large doses. In most cases, hemangioma is not a serious threat to the health and life of the patient. Defect is treated by exposure to very low temperatures, cryodestruction. This method is especially often used in the treatment of simple hemangiomas with their rapid development. To completely get rid of hemangiomas, several sessions of exposure to the area affected by snow with rock acid or liquid nitrogen on an outpatient basis are required. The tissue in the affected area is frozen for a short time, and then a new tissue is formed in its place. In this case, scarring does not even occur. Good results in the treatment of hemangiomas are given by laser irradiation and sclerotherapy. These methods are used in the treatment of combined cavernous hemangiomas. The treatment method is selected depending on the location.