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Birthmarks - red    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Strawberry hemangioma; Strawberry mark; Stork bites; Vascular skin changes; Angioma cavernosum; Cavernous hemangiomas; Capillary hemangioma; Salmon patches; Hemangiomas; Hemangioma simplex; Nevus flammeus

Treatment

Many capillary birthmarks (strawberry hemangiomas, cavernous hemangiomas, salmon patches) are temporary and require no treatment.

Nevus flammeus type of hemangiomas may require no treatment unless they are disfiguring or psychologically distressing, or unless they develop new symptoms such as pain or change in appearance.

Permanent lesions may be disguised with cosmetics, especially cosmetics designed to be concealing or covering (such as Dermablend and Covermark).

Oral or injected cortisone may be used to reduce the size of a hemangioma that is growing rapidly and obstructing vision or vital structures.

Permanent birthmarks may be treated with cryotherapy (freezing), surgical removal, or laser surgery. They are usually not treated unless symptomatic, or until a child is at least school age. However, port wine stains on the face should be treated at a young age with a yellow pulsed dye laser for best results and to prevent the often profound psychosocial problems caused by the port wine stain.

Prognosis

Birthmarks rarely cause problems other than cosmetic changes. Many birthmarks resolve spontaneously by the time a child is of school age, but some are permanent.

Complications

• psychological distress from change in cosmetic appearance
• discomfort or bleeding from vascular birthmarks (occasional)
• scarring or complications after surgical removal

Call Your Health Care Provider If:

All birthmarks should be examined by a health care provider to determine the prognosis (probable outcome), course of action, and possible complications.

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