There are various types of angiomas, including flat angioma or port wine stain and tuberous angioma or hemangioma. According to the French Society of Dermatology, 5 to 10% of babies are affected by this dermatological problem. The course and treatment of your baby’s angioma depends on its type and location. In all cases, a medical consultation is necessary.
1. The different types of angioma
Angiomas refer to an abnormality of blood vessels, localized to certain regions of the body. The angioma can take on various appearances. We thus distinguish the flat angioma which appears in the form of a port-wine stain on the face and neck, from the hemangioma which has the shape of a red strawberry of a few millimeters to a few centimeters, specifies the French Society of Dermatology.
- Hemangiomas: these are protuberances that appear a few weeks after birth. This is the most common form of angioma in babies. They are broken down into 3 subcategories: hemangiomas with a smooth or grainy appearance, present on the surface, red in color; subcutaneous hemangiomas, firm and elastic bluish-colored balls located under the skin; mixed hemangiomas which combine the two previous forms.
- Plane angiomas: Plane angiomas are congenital discolorations of the baby’s skin, that is to say present at birth, specifies the MSD Manual. They vary in size, present on the face and neck. Sometimes they are also seen on the back of the neck and are then called “stork bite”.
2. Causes and risk factors for angiomas
The causes of angiomas depend on the type of angioma you are dealing with. Thus, hemangioma results from the anarchic proliferation of small blood vessels (capillaries) in the skin. These are benign vascular tumors. The flat angioma is also the result of an abnormality of the blood vessels, but this time it concerns a malformation of the blood capillaries. Risk factors have also been identified. Among them, a complicated pregnancy (multiple or late pregnancy), placental abruption, extreme prematurity, high blood pressure or even a family history of angioma. The majority of angiomas resolve on their own before the child is 7 years old and only require simple monitoring. But any finding of an angioma on your baby’s skin requires a medical consultation.
3. How to react if your infant has a hemangioma?
Hemangioma is usually not present at birth. It appears when your baby is a few weeks old and grows rapidly during his first trimester of life, then stabilizes around the age of 6 to 9 months, before regressing spontaneously over several years. According to the French Society of Dermatology, 70% of hemangiomas have completely disappeared without treatment and without leaving a scar at the age of 5/6 years. For the remaining 30%, visible scars remain, which surgery or laser treatment can remove.
Although these skin tumors are generally benign, in certain cases complications may appear. Particularly if the hemangioma is located in a problematic location (eye, near the nose, on the lip), if it is large (more than 2 cm) or if it ulcerates. In these complex cases, drug treatment based on beta blockers (propranolol) is prescribed to your infant. This treatment allows the hemangioma to soften within a few hours and then disappear within 3 or 4 months. However, taking beta-blockers requires some precautions, particularly regarding the heart: a prior cardiological examination is essential, and your baby must be monitored throughout treatment (pulse measurement, blood pressure). Finally, taking beta blockers can cause a drop in blood sugar levels in your infant, so you must ensure that he eats his meals well.
4. What to do if your baby has a planar angioma?
Unlike hemangioma which resolves spontaneously in most cases, flat angioma remains on your child’s skin for life. This can therefore be unsightly and require laser treatment in several sessions to make it disappear. But not only. Depending on the location of the flat angioma on your child’s body, underlying pathologies may be detected. Thus, if the flat angioma is located on one of the two lower limbs, it can harm the proper growth of the latter (length, diameter) and require orthopedic treatment subsequently. Furthermore, a plane angioma of the face (forehead and eyelids) can be the clinical sign of Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare disease which combines a plane angioma and neurological complications (motor deficit, intellectual deficiencies, glaucoma, epilepsy), informs the MSD Manual. In the latter case, a brain MRI is performed, as well as neurological and ophthalmological examinations. Symptom treatment is implemented (anticonvulsants, etc.).
Sources
- Angiomas, French Society of Dermatology, December 5, 2019
- Planar Angioma, Dr. Denise M. Aaron, The MSD Manual – Consumer Version, September 2023
- Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Dr. M. Cristina Victorio, The MSD Manual – Healthcare Professional Version, November 2023