What should I do if my child has a hemangioma?

Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
Updated on February 03, 2025
00:00
00:00

Infantile hemangiomas are caused by congenital genetic defects leading to abnormal development of capillaries. Currently, there are no very effective treatments available, and the method of treatment can be chosen based on the size and severity of the hemangioma. If the hemangioma is relatively small and does not affect the child's body, it can be temporarily observed, as some children's hemangiomas may gradually heal on their own. If the hemangioma is larger, or has caused some related clinical symptoms, or has affected the child's appearance, it is advisable to consider going to a regular hospital for surgical removal. Postoperative prognosis for the child is generally good, and ideal treatment results can be achieved.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Chang Yue
General Surgery
42sec home-news-image

Do hemangiomas differentiate between benign and malignant?

Hemangiomas are a type of tumor commonly seen in clinical settings, generally not classified as benign or malignant because most hemangiomas are benign without malignant variants. Therefore, for patients diagnosed with hemangiomas, surgical removal may be considered if there is an impact on function or aesthetic appearance. Typically, treatment options for hemangiomas include surgical removal, the application of local sclerosing agents, or practices such as embolization. This is particularly true for visceral organs, such as liver and spleen hemangiomas, where interventional embolization can be utilized, yielding satisfactory results with minimal damage.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
38sec home-news-image

What should I do about the hemangioma on the baby's face?

If the hemangioma on the baby's face affects the baby's facial appearance, or if it is located in some special areas, such as above the trigeminal nerve, then it is necessary to intervene and treat as early as possible. Hemangiomas are vascular malformations in the body and often have no impact on the body; they mainly affect appearance. However, if the location of the growth has certain specificities, it can affect future life or induce some diseases. In such cases, it is necessary for a specialist doctor to make a differential diagnosis and then select a surgical method for targeted treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Chen
Oncology
1min home-news-image

Are hemangiomas dangerous?

The hazards of hemangiomas include: First, they impact appearance. Most hemangiomas are located on the head and face, severely affecting one's appearance and causing great physical and emotional harm to both the patient and their family. Second, they affect function by invading surrounding tissues and impairing the normal functions of nearby organs. Third, the tumor can bleed, and severe bleeding may lead to hemorrhagic shock. Fourth, abnormal development, as the tumor compresses surrounding normal tissues, can lead to developmental disorders, affecting bone growth and causing severe deformities in limbs. Fifth, ulceration can occur when the hemangioma grows too quickly or due to friction, leading to ulcers and infections, and potentially malignant changes. Therefore, hemangiomas can be quite dangerous.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
45sec home-news-image

How to determine if a hemangioma is regressing

Clinically, hemangiomas are a type of benign tumor that mostly require medication, surgery, or local treatments to regress. In rare cases, hemangiomas can regress spontaneously, especially when they are small and the underlying cause of the hemangioma has been removed. Then, the color of the hemangioma may change from its original dark red to a bright red, and gradually change to a color similar to that of normal skin, indicating that the hemangioma has regressed. Clinically, depending on the impact of the hemangioma on the patient, treatment options can include medication, local microwave therapy, laser treatments, or surgical removal.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
46sec home-news-image

Causes and Treatment of Infantile Hemangiomas

Infantile hemangiomas are usually caused by congenital factors, and the pathogenesis and specific causes of hemangiomas are not very clear at the moment. Since there is a certain possibility that infantile hemangiomas can heal on their own, if the hemangioma's location is not very noticeable and not particularly significant, it is advisable to initially observe it. If the hemangioma has not healed on its own by the time the child turns five, consideration can be given to treat it with sclerosing injections or through surgery. If the hemangioma is located in an internal organ and does not severely affect the child's health under normal circumstances, it could still be quite dangerous if it bursts. Therefore, parents should give it enough attention.