Birthmarks - red

Alternative names:

angioma cavernosum; capillary hemangioma; cavernoma; cavernous hemangiomas; hemangioma simplex; hemangiomas; nevus flammeus; salmon patches; stork bites; strawberry hemangioma; strawberry mark; vascular skin changes

Definition:

Reddish colored, vascular (blood vessel) skin markings that develop before or shortly after birth. (See also birthmarks, pigmented.)

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

There are two main categories of birthmarks. Red birthmarks are a vascular type of birthmark. Pigmented birthmarks are areas where the color of the birthmark is different from the color of the rest of the skin.

Hemangiomas are a common birthmark. They are usually painless and benign. The cause of hemangioma development is unknown. The color results from a proliferation of blood vessels at the sight.

Strawberry hemangiomas (strawberry mark, nevus vascularis, capillary hemangioma, hemangioma simplex) may appear anywhere on the body, but are most common on the face, scalp, back, or chest. They consist of small, closely packed blood vessels. They are most common in women. They may be absent at birth, and develop at around 2 months. They usually grow rapidly, remain a fixed size, and then subside. 95% of strawberry hemangiomas disappear by the time the child is 9 years old, although there may be some slight discoloration or puckering of the skin where a strawberry hemangioma existed.

Cavernous hemangiomas (angioma cavernosum, cavernoma) are similar to strawberry hemangiomas but are more deeply situated. They may appear as a red-blue spongy mass of tissue filled with blood. Some of these lesions disappear on their own, usually as a child approaches school age.

A port-wine stain (nevus flammeus) is a flat hemangioma made of dilated blood capillaries. The face is the most common location. The size varies from very small to over half of the body surface. This may be a permanent defect, often causing psychologic distress. Facial lesions may be associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome. Large lesions on the extremities can be associated with soft tissue growth and enlargement of the extremity.

Salmon patches (stork bites) are small, pink, flat spots. They are extremely common, appearing on 30 to 50% of newborns. They are small blood vessels (capillaries) that are visible through the skin. They are most common on the forehead, eyelids, upper lip, between the eyebrows, and the back of the neck. They may be more noticeable when the infant cries or during temperature changes. They often fade as the infant grows. Salmon patches on the back of the neck may not fade but are usually not noticeable as the hair grows.