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Hemangioma
What should I do if there is a hemangioma on my tongue?
Hemangioma is a benign tumor that occurs in blood vessels, and the specific etiology and pathogenesis are not clear clinically. The tongue is a common site for hemangiomas. For hemangiomas on the tongue, it is necessary to comprehensively assess based on the type of hemangioma, location, depth of tissue invasion, the proximity to surrounding tissues, and the patient’s own physical condition, among other factors, to determine the most beneficial treatment method. Currently, the clinical treatments for hemangiomas include surgical treatment, radiation therapy, local sclerotherapy, laser treatment, or pharmacotherapy. Currently, there is no single clinical method that can completely treat all types of hemangiomas. For hemangiomas on the tongue that do not affect the overall function of the tongue, conservative treatment can be considered. For hemangiomas that have caused tongue ulcers, medication can be given to protect the mucous membrane of the tongue and promote faster healing of the ulcers.
How is hemangioma treated?
Currently, common methods used for the treatment of hemangiomas include medication, laser therapy, and surgical treatment. There is no single method that can treat all types of hemangiomas. The choice of treatment should be based on factors such as the type, location, depth of the tumor, and the patient's age. Common methods include surgical removal, radiation therapy, cryosurgery, sclerotherapy injections, and laser treatment. The principles of treatment are: first, to prevent or treat serious life-threatening and functional complications; second, to prevent deformities or facial defects after the regression of the hemangioma; third, to prevent ulcers and infections, and for patients who have ulcers, to promote ulcer healing, reduce scarring, and alleviate pain; fourth, to reduce the psychological stress on the child and their family; fifth, to avoid overtreatment of lesions that can regress on their own and have a good prognosis.
Difference between liver hemangioma and liver cancer in ultrasound
Liver hemangiomas display a variety of appearances on ultrasound, including hyper-echoic, hypo-echoic, and mixed echoes. Typically, hemangiomas appear on ultrasound as round or oval hyper-echoic masses, with internal echoes that may show a sieve-like change. In contrast, liver cancer primarily appears as hypo-echoic on ultrasound, and liver cancer symptoms are more varied because most liver cancers develop on the basis of cirrhosis. In addition to hypo-echoic masses, there are other manifestations, such as an incomplete liver capsule, widened liver fissures, spleen enlargement, and dilated portal veins, which are used to differentiate from hemangiomas.
What should be done about infantile hemangiomas?
If an infant has a hemangioma, it is first necessary to assess the location and size of the hemangioma. Currently, the main treatments for hemangioma include: Firstly, oral medications such as Xin De An, which is commonly used for cardiovascular issues, can gradually reduce the size of the hemangioma. Although it is an oral medication, it is essential to conduct electrocardiograph and echocardiogram examinations before taking the medication, and the treatment should be carried out under the guidance of a hospital doctor, followed by regular observation. Secondly, topical application of certain eye drops may gradually reduce smaller hemangiomas. Thirdly, surgical treatment is used for particularly large hemangiomas to completely eliminate them. Another method is to treat older children with laser or plasma therapy; this is generally performed when the child is older, and the local treatment is quite effective.
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.
Does staying up late affect liver hemangioma?
Staying up late can affect patients with hepatic hemangiomas. Chronic sleep deprivation may impair liver function, potentially exacerbating hepatic hemangiomas significantly. Hepatic hemangiomas are a type of benign tumor, but they can rupture and bleed, causing liver hemorrhage and even leading to hemorrhagic shock. Therefore, patients with hepatic hemangiomas, especially those with larger tumors, should be actively treated, potentially through interventional surgery to achieve a cure. Additionally, for patients with smaller hepatic hemangiomas, conservative treatment may be appropriate for the time being. However, lifestyle and dietary habits need special attention, such as avoiding hard-to-digest and spicy foods.
Will hemangiomas resolve on their own?
Pediatric hemangiomas are relatively common congenital disorders in pediatric surgery, frequently found on the face, body surface, and limbs. They appear as red or purplish-red protruding lumps with clear boundaries. These lumps do not blanch when pressed, grow in size with the child's growth and development. Clinically, pediatric hemangiomas are categorized into capillary hemangiomas, cavernous hemangiomas, and racemose hemangiomas. Capillary hemangiomas in children often disappear on their own within one to two years, while cavernous and racemose hemangiomas usually require surgical treatment. Thus, it is said that pediatric capillary hemangiomas can regress spontaneously.
Is pain from a liver hemangioma normal?
If a patient with a liver hemangioma experiences pain, this is not within the normal range. When the liver hemangioma is small, patients generally do not experience significant discomfort and do not require special treatment. Regular follow-up with ultrasound to dynamically observe changes in size is sufficient. However, if a patient with a liver hemangioma experiences pain in the liver area, this should be taken seriously, as it may indicate rupture and bleeding of the hemangioma, especially when the hemangioma is large. Therefore, for patients with large hemangiomas, early interventional treatment should be administered, as only through interventional surgery can the therapeutic effect be achieved, preventing the worsening of the condition. Additionally, patients with liver hemangiomas should avoid hard-to-digest foods in their diet to reduce the burden on the liver and better manage the condition.
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.
How are hemangiomas formed?
The etiology of hemangioma is unknown. Studies have shown that the use of progesterone during pregnancy, undergoing chorionic villus sampling, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, and low birth weight at the time of birth may be related to the formation of hemangiomas. It is believed that hemangiomas are a result of minor misconfigurations in the control gene segments during the embryonic development process, particularly during the early stages of vascular tissue differentiation. This leads to abnormal tissue differentiation at specific sites, eventually developing into hemangiomas. During the early months of embryonic development, from eight to twelve months, mechanical damage to embryonic tissue and local bleeding can cause some hematopoietic stem cells to be distributed among other embryonic cells, some of which differentiate into vessel-like tissues and ultimately form hemangiomas.