What Is a Strawberry Hemangioma?

A strawberry hemangioma (also called a capillary hemangioma) is a type of superficial birthmark that is red-colored, occurs during babyhood and usually disappears.

Features

Strawberry hemangiomas consist of an overgrowth of immature blood vessel endothelial cells that is soft to the touch. They often occur on the neck, scalp, face, and back in the upper layer of skin. They eventually regress, and leave no scar.

Time Frame

Strawberry hemangiomas occur two to three months after birth, or at birth. They take several years to go away.

Treatment

Though strawberry hemangiomas often don't need treatment, a laser treatment or a combination of laser treatment and steroid injections are used to reduce them.

Considerations

In the U.S up to 50 percent of strawberry hemangiomas form around the area of the head and neck. Thirty percent of people who develop strawberry hemangiomas have already begun to develop them before birth. All people who develop strawberry hemangiomas develop them by the time they are six months old.

Warning

A child who has several strawberry hemangiomas is often monitored closely by doctors, as this could be a symptom of lesions on internal organs.

References

• http://dictionary.webmd.com/terms/strawberry-hemangioma WebMD: Strawberry hemangioma
• Strawberry Hemangioma (Infantile Hemangioma)
• The Free Dictionary, Dictionary/Thesaurus: Strawberry haemangioma

Resources

• Strawberry Hemangioma
• Hemangioma, Capillary