Many parents are faced with such a problem as hemangioma in children. This is a benign formation that appears in infancy. Do not panic if the baby has such a red spot. How to behave in such a situation will be discussed in detail below.
General Description
Hemangioma in children under one year old is a fairly common disease. This neoplasm is a benign tumor that can appear at birth or in the first months of a baby's life. The maximum period when a hemangioma can appear is 2 months.
Every tenth child on the planet has a similar neoplasm. Scientists still do not agree on what causes such an anomaly. However, there are several theories on this. Statistics say that in most cases, hemangiomas appear in girls. Boys are less likely to be affected by this disease. There is only 1 boy for every 3 girls.has a hemangioma.
The neoplasm presented may look like a small speck. It is flat and can be of different sizes. There are also voluminous hemangiomas. Sometimes they grow in breadth or depth. Moreover, the size of such an education can be any. There are very large hemangiomas. There may also be several. If there are more than three such neoplasms on the body, they are also on the internal organs.
Hemangiomas in children have one main feature that distinguishes them from other similar pathologies. They consist of degenerate cells of the inner surface of the vessels. At the same time, in the vast majority of babies, such formations pass on their own without outside help.
Causes of occurrence
Hemangioma on the face of a child or other parts of the body can cause serious concern for parents. The reasons for the appearance of such neoplasms are not reliably known to science. There are a number of hypotheses that have not yet been confirmed. However, they cannot be denied.
It is worth noting that doctors agree on only one thing. The nature of the occurrence of such pathologies excludes heredity. Scientists have established that the mechanism of the occurrence of hemangioma begins at the stage of development of the fetal vascular system. It occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. Due to reasons unknown to science, endothelial cells (the inner surface of blood vessels) fall into unintended places. After birth, they degenerate into benign tumors.
Arise hemangiomacan on the skin, mucous membranes and even on the internal organs. After birth, it develops, increases. However, almost always, by the age of 5-7 years, the child does not have such pathologies. The risk of such a pathology increases if the pregnancy is multiple, the child was born prematurely, the mother's age exceeds 38 years. Also, eclampsia during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of hemangioma.
Modern methods of treating hemangioma in children make it possible to get rid of such formations quickly and easily. However, knowing the life cycle of such formations, one can decide on the advisability of surgical intervention.
Development phases
Hemangioma in a child on the head, face, parts of the body is most often located in "safe" places. It is at a distance from the vital organs and mucous membranes. However, there are exceptions. In some cases, surgery is essential.
In other cases, the neoplasm must be observed. It has several stages of development. First hemangioma appears. This can happen while still in the womb or in the first few weeks after birth. Then comes the phase of its active growth. It lasts until the child is one year old. After that, its growth slows down and stops. Then it stops growing at all.
After that, the reverse development phase begins. The hemangioma begins to gradually decrease. The phase of involution and complete disappearance of the neoplasm occurs when the childreaches the age of 5-7 years. In some cases, this process takes up to 10 years. At the same time, even traces of hemangioma do not remain on the skin.
According to statistics, 50% of such formations disappear when the child reaches the age of five. Of the remaining mass of children with hemangioma, 70% will say goodbye by the age of 7 years. Another 28-29% of them will forget about the tumor by 9-10 years of age. Only in 1-2% of children, such formations degenerate into other forms of pathologies and do not go away on their own. The reappearance of hemangioma is absolutely excluded. It passes without consequences.
Varieties
There are several varieties of such neoplasms. Cavernous hemangioma in children is a tumor that consists of dilated vessels with cavities. They contain venous or arterial blood. Most often, this type of hemangiomas spreads along the skin, does not grow deeper.
Dangerous is the formation of this type, which appears in the liver. It can also be in other organs that are characterized by abundant blood supply. It is extremely difficult to identify them. Only when complications occur can such a tumor be diagnosed.
Very dangerous cavernous hemangiomas in the liver, spleen, brain. In case of accidental injury, a rupture of the tumor can occur. The result is internal bleeding that can be fatal.
Hemangioma in a child on the lip, on the face can be capillary. It never affects the inner layers and vessels of the dermis. These are intertwinedcapillary vessels. Their rupture is extremely rare. Such a neoplasm in diameter does not exceed 1 cm.
Mixed hemangioma is a capillary and cavernous tumor that has merged together. This formation is dangerous because outwardly it may look like a simple hemangioma. However, its breakup is likely.
Symptoms
In the international classification (ICD-10), hemangioma in children is assigned a specific code - D18.0. This is the common name for any type of such neoplasms. They have a number of symptoms that parents need to be aware of. Often such tumors appear in the scalp, as well as on the face (eyelids, cheeks, nose), in the mouth, on the genitals, in the upper body, on the arms, legs, bones and internal organs.
Spot size may vary. It can be only a few millimeters or occupy about 15 cm of the surface or even more. The shape of the spot may be different. Its color also varies from pale pinkish to burgundy, with a bluish tinge. This formation is warmer than the surrounding tissue.
In addition to ruptures, the danger of such formations lies in their infection. Also, the hemangioma can grow in depth. It can compress tissues, have an effect on internal organs. If such a formation appears on the mucous membranes, in the ears, on the nose, and it also actively develops, it can lead to impaired hearing, smell, vision, etc.
According to reviews, a hemangioma in a child passes until the end of puberty. However, at its centerpaler areas appear. They gradually spread to the periphery. This process may take several years. If removal of the neoplasm is not recommended, you just need to patiently wait for the stain to pass by itself.
Diagnosis
Hemangioma in a child on the face, torso requires proper diagnosis. A medical specialist will be able to advise parents not to resort to surgical treatment, or, conversely, surgery is required. The surgeon controls the patient's condition. You can also consult a pediatrician or dermatologist.
In some cases, additional consultation of other medical specialists is required. This may be an ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist, urologist or gynecologist. If the formation is in the mouth area, you will need to see a dentist.
In the process of diagnosis, the doctor examines the patient. The neoplasm is palpated, auscultation is performed. The hemangioma is measured in diameter. You will also need to do a coagulogram and pass an analysis for the number of platelets.
To determine how deep the hemangioma is growing, the doctor will prescribe an ultrasound. This will allow a comprehensive assessment of the features of education and make a decision on further actions. At the same time, the features of the hemangioma blood supply, its interaction with other vessels are determined.
In some cases, x-rays are taken. This allows you to assess the condition of the surrounding tissues.
When is deletion shown?
Removal of hemangioma in children is carried out in a number of cases. Surgery is required ifthe neoplasm is located on the mucous membrane. It can be the larynx or the ear cavity. Also be sure to remove the hemangioma of the eye in children. If this is not done, when the neoplasm enters the phase of active growth, it can harm the baby. He may lose his sight, his hearing. If the hemangioma is located in the larynx, as it grows, the access of oxygen to the lungs can be completely blocked.
Also, tumors that are located in close proximity to physiological openings, such as the mouth, nose, anus, etc., are subject to removal. The growth of hemangioma is unpredictable. It can sharply begin to expand inward. At the same time, it is able to completely block the hole next to which it is located.
Also subject to removal of the tumor, which are located in places of increased injury risk. For example, on the stomach or on the side, such a formation can be easily touched by clothing. The probability of such an outcome is especially high on the belt, where trousers and skirts are fastened. On the stomach or in other easily accessible places, babies can simply pick off such a neoplasm. It will cover a little, like a regular wound. However, hemangioma infection is very dangerous.
Also, the doctor will recommend removing the tumor if the child is already 1.5 years old and it is still growing. If the child is 10 years old, and the formation has not disappeared, an operation is also indicated. This is rare, but in 1-2% of cases this situation occurs.
Surgical treatment
Today, no modern clinic removes hemangiomas with a scalpel. There are many ways that allow you to perform the procedure quickly and efficiently. Surgical treatment is a last resort when other methods fail to solve the problem.
One of the most modern approaches is laser removal of hemangioma in children. Such a laser removes pathological tissues accurately and in layers. The accuracy of the surgeon's actions is very high. At the same time, he althy tissues are not injured.
Removal of hemangioma with a laser in children is carried out contactlessly. This is a completely sterile procedure. In this case, the technique is absolutely bloodless. The doctor visually controls his actions. At the same time, the cosmetic effect after laser therapy will be high. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. This is possible if the hemangioma is small.
With a significant tumor size, treatment will be much more difficult and lengthy. The operation is done under general anesthesia. If the formation area is large, you will need to take a donor flap from the part of the body that will be under the clothes. This is especially important when performing surgery on the face, eyelid. Such intervention is carried out only in exceptional cases. In the process, the child receives a blood transfusion.
Conservative treatment
Hemangioma in children can be treated conservatively. One popular approach is cryotherapy. In this case, carbon dioxide snow is used. This method is applicable for hemangiomas up to 2.5 cm in diameter.
Carbonic snow is applied to the site of the tumor. At the same time, he althy tissues are captured at about 0,5 cm. After that, the appearance of a depressed surface can be observed. It swells, turns into a bubble. Then a crust appears. She falls off after 2 weeks.
Another option is to use injections. They have a sclerosing effect on the vessels of the hemangioma. After such treatment, connective tissue appears in its place. Alcohol and quinine solution are used as the active substance.
With the help of injections, an infiltration roller is created. It is formed first around the tumor. Then such education is concentrated in its center. Once a week, the procedure is repeated. At this time, the swelling should disappear. If the tumor is located on the eyelid or in the mouth, surgical methods will be quite difficult to perform. Therefore, this approach is used. Injections have proven effective.
If the hemangioma is small, your doctor may recommend electrocoagulation. The size of the tumor should not exceed 5 mm. It is affected by an electric current. As a result, the tissues of the formation coagulate. Then a crust appears. It goes away on its own over time.
Radiotherapy is used in the treatment of subcutaneous neoplasms. This is one of the few methods that allows you to remove such tumors on the internal organs. Radiotherapy has a bad effect on the entire body of the patient. Therefore, it is prescribed no earlier than the 6th month of a child's life.
Parent reviews
Parents whose children have been diagnosed with hemangioma often insist on surgery or other treatment for the tumor. However, over time, if the doctor does notrecommends such interventions, they agree with the statement that it is not worth treating a hemangioma. If she's in a safe place, it's best to let her pass on her own. Many procedures, although they are as safe as possible, cannot guarantee that after such exposures there will be no scars. Therefore, parents say that if the doctor does not recommend surgery, the tumor should simply be monitored.
By considering the occurrence and treatment of hemangioma in children, parents will be able to make the right decision about the next steps.
