ANGIOMAs HEMANGIOMAs & Venous Lakes

Angiomas are a benign tuft of blood vessels in the skin appearing as a raised red bump that blanches when compressed.   The color can vary from bright red to maroon and on occasion black.  They are easily treated at our Commack Long Island Office in Suffolk County using the new Excel V Vascular laser.

The  30 is the most common age to develop Hemangiomas however, some can be present at birth. Moreover, lesions from birth tend to resolve over time.

 Raised large Hemangiomas   often bleed and should be removed..

Moreover, Angiomas on the lip are Venous Lakes. These Venous Lakes make the lip open to trauma. However, vascular lasers treat Venous Lakes.

SYMPTOMS OF ANGIOMAS

Although found anywhere on the body, they most often affect the limbs and torso. In most cases, they are small and blanch when compressed. If a larger angioma is scratched or cut, it will bleed, sometimes profusely. However, squeezing the area will cause the bleeding to stop.

Spider Angiomas have a small red or dark core and spread outward like the legs of a spider. The color of the spider  varies from red to purple but, again, is benign. Moreover, they tend to appear on the face, cheeks, nose, and upper torso. However, Spider Angiomas may signal a medical condition involving hormones and the liver

dOES THE PRESENCE SIGNAL AN ILLNESS ?

While most Angiomas are benign, the sudden appearance of multiple angiomas, especially on the nose and face, warrants a medical workup.

Medical causes include:

  • Liver Disease
  • Cirrhosis
  • Ellivated Estrogen Levels
  • Pregnanc
angioma treatment

Small flat blood filled Angiomas 

spider angioma

The Spider Angioma

Angioma Subtypes:

  • Cherry Angioma: This lesion can occur anywhere on the body but, most frequently on the trunk and arms. Moreover,  typically red, blue, purple, or nearly black. They are small, bubble-like skin anomalies that resemble a bad blister. Interestingly, a person’s chances of getting a cherry angioma greatly increase after age 30. Their cause, or causes, is unknown.
  • Spider Angioma:  often occurring on the face and upper portions of the chest. Their name characterizes the centrally located red capsule of the angioma that is fed by several tiny capillary “legs”. These angiomas are seen in people of all ages, but seem to occur more frequently when there is an elevated level of estrogen in the body. Pregnancy and abnormal liver function both cause spider veins.
  • Venous Lakes: blue colored lesion on the lip. The Venous Lake may bleed however, treatable with vascular lasers.

diagnosis

Most can be diagnosed using ultrasound. However other diagnostic tools include:

  • Biopsy
  • CT Scan with Contrast
  • MRI if the Angioma or hemangioma is large and possible affecting other nearby tissues.

 

Hemangiomas

The Hemangioma is also a tuft of abnormal blood vessels.  However, the Hemangioma is often raised and can become large. 

 

A Hemangioma of teh abdomen

Treatment options