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Hemangioma Tumor Information

A hemangioma is a benign tumor that is formed by a group of underdeveloped or malformed blood vessels. Hemangioma comes from the Latin words "hemangio", meaning "blood vessel", and "oma", meaning "tumor". Hemangiomas can be located in various parts of the body, and in most cases, these tumors do not cause any signs or symptoms.

  1. Skin Hemangioma

    • A hemangioma on the skin, also known as a "strawberry birthmark", is generally present at birth and grows during the first year into a fleshy mass that may protrude from the skin. These hemangiomas usually do not present any other medical problems and usually resolve into just a small discolored patch between the ages of 5 and 10.

    Vertebral Hemangioma

    • Hemangiomas can form on or around the vertebrae, the bones that make up the spine. They usually only involve one vertebra and are most commonly found in the lower back. The hemangioma may not be symptomatic, but if it grows large enough, it can cause the vertebra to collapse, which can then impede on the spinal cord, causing pain. In severe cases, the spinal cord can be so pinched, it can cause loss of function of the legs, bowels or bladder. If the hemangioma is causing symptoms, surgery may be necessary in order to remove it.

    Intercostal Hemangioma

    • A tumor present on the chest wall is not very common and finding a hemangioma on the chest wall, called an intercostal hemangioma, is even rarer. However, there have been a few documented cases of hemangiomas that were detected by computed tomography (CT scan). These tumors require surgery to resect (cut) the tumor out. Since these tumors are benign, the patient has a good prognosis.

    Organ Hemangioma

    • Hemangiomas can form on an organ--most commonly they are found on the liver, called hepatic hemangiomas. These are usually congenital (meaning present at birth) conditions, and most who have them never know they are there. These hemangiomas are usually found during testing for another condition and, unless they begin to exhibit symptoms, do not need treatment.

    Complications

    • Although hemangiomas usually do not present symptoms and do not cause any other medical conditions, complications can arise, in which case medical intervention is necessary. Hemangiomas in the skin can rupture, causing bleeding or infection. Hemangiomas on organs can also rupture or grow so big, that abdominal symptoms such as pain, lack of appetite, nausea or vomiting prompt the patient to seek treatment.

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