What is a Hemangioma?

Hemangioma are very common growth of skin that are made up of small blood vessels. They are benign tumours. Quite common, up to 1 of every 10 babies will have one. The hemangioma are usually noticed on the skin within a few days to weeks after birth. At first they are often mistaken as a "bruise" or "scratch". They can occur anywhere on the skin but are most common on the head and neck. Hemangioma have a growth phase of 6-12 mths but most of the growth will usually take place in the first 3 to 4 mths of life. Hemangioma will then have an involution phase which can take a number of years to completely disappear. The growth rate and shrink rate will differ between children and nobody knows exactly what causes a hemangioma. What is known that it occurs more in Caucasian females. Most hemangioma cause no problems and don't need treatment,but there are some uncommon problems that still do occur. Very large segmental hemangioma on the face can rarely be associated with birth defects of the brain, heart or eyes, also known as PHACE Syndrome.