Is it normal for a child to have hemangioma?

Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
Updated on January 21, 2025
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It is not normal for children to have hemangiomas. Hemangiomas are usually caused by congenital vascular malformations and may also be caused by hereditary factors resulting in true hemangiomas. However, regardless of the case, they are considered abnormal.

Hemangiomas can be divided into two types: true hemangiomas and vascular malformations. True hemangiomas have a certain possibility of self-healing, so parents can temporarily observe. If the child does not heal by themselves after the age of five, timely treatment should be administered.

Once a vascular malformation occurs, if it is not treated, it may persist throughout life. If it grows in some inconspicuous places on the skin surface, treatment may not be necessary. However, hemangiomas in the internal organs should receive enough attention and be treated as soon as possible.

Other Voices

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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Can people with hemangioma drink alcohol?

Hemangiomas are benign tumors of the blood vessels. It is advisable for patients with hemangiomas to abstain from alcohol, as drinking is a harmful stimulus. Prolonged alcohol consumption can lead to hardening of the vessels, which may easily cause rupture and bleeding of the hemangiomas, leading to adverse consequences. Therefore, once hemangiomas are detected, it is recommended to reduce or avoid alcohol consumption. Although hemangiomas are generally benign tumors and often do not cause significant damage to the body, some hemangiomas, due to their specific growth location and size, can sometimes lead to rupture and bleeding or affect bodily functions, thereby significantly impacting the quality of life. Such cases may require active surgical treatment, administration of sclerosing agents, or certain medications and physical therapies.

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Written by He Zong Quan
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The difference between lipomas and hemangiomas

Lipomas and hemangiomas are not the same disease and are not directly related. Lipomas generally occur in superficial parts of the body, sometimes in the muscle layer. Lipomas typically have a complete capsule and exhibit a lobulated shape. They are usually soft, and patients do not exhibit obvious local symptoms. On the other hand, hemangiomas often occur in solid organs, including liver hemangiomas, spleen hemangiomas, and kidney hemangiomas. Hemangiomas can also appear in superficial areas, such as the skin where they can form strawberry-like lesions, causing discomfort due to their appearance. However, most hemangiomas do not tend to enlarge and are benign, requiring no special treatment.

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Written by Zhou Chen
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Can hemangiomas go untreated?

The severity of harm varies with different types of hemangiomas, such as in adults with mixed-type hemangiomas. These can continually develop as the patient ages. If the affected areas expand further, they may extend to tissues and organs like the eyes, nose, lips, or ears. These organs might then become covered by the expanding vascular tissue, potentially causing impairments in functions such as breathing, eating, vision, and hearing. If hemangiomas appear on the limbs, they can also lead to dysfunction, affecting mobility. Therefore, it is advisable to seek treatment for hemangiomas as early as possible.

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Written by Zhou Chen
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Can hemangiomas be left untreated?

Hemangiomas on the head and face, and those around the eyes, tend to invade the eyeballs or cause complications such as glaucoma. Hemangiomas in the parotid gland area can compress or damage the facial nerve, leading to facial paralysis. Nasal hemangiomas may block the nasal passages, causing deformities of the nostrils. Lip hemangiomas, due to friction from sucking or eating, are prone to rupture causing deformities of the lip; ear hemangiomas, because of poor blood circulation, are prone to infection after rupture. Hemangiomas on the limbs and body, due to the rapid growth of some, can invade muscle tissue, bones, or joints, causing local pain and, in severe cases, joint deformities and other functional symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to treat hemangiomas.

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Which department should a baby with hemangioma see?

The department for treating infantile hemangioma should be determined based on the location, size, and severity of the hemangioma. If the hemangioma is located on the surface of the body, it is generally appropriate to consult the department of plastic and cosmetic surgery. If the hemangioma is on the face, the oral medicine department should be visited. If the hemangioma is around the eyes, then the ophthalmology department should be consulted. If the hemangioma is internal or if there are other concurrent tumorous diseases, it may be necessary to visit the pediatric hematology-oncology department or the corresponding surgical department. This would be the most appropriate and correct choice.