Benign vascular lesions that typically appear during the first weeks of life as blue or pink macules or patches

Some lesions can be problematic, require identification and early Tx and/or referral

Pathophysiology

• Begin as blue/pink macules or patches
• then enter a proliferative phase and may become elevated above the surrounding skin surfaces (until age 5 months)
• Involution phase thereafter, completion by age 4 years
• The growth pattern distinguishes them from other vascular lesions
• Complete resolution is possible, but in many cases cutaneous stigmata remain, with redundant fibro-fatty tissue and telangiectasias

Flat haemangiomas - strawberry haemangiomas

Raised haemangiomas - Port wine haemangiomas

Risk factors:

• white ethnicity
• female sex
• prematurity
• low birth weight
• multiple gestation
• advanced maternal age