What is a hemangioma?

Hemangioma is a relatively common disease. Hemangioma is divided into many types. The most common one is congenital hemangioma, because the embryo is not fully developed, which can easily lead to hemangioma. There are also hemangiomas caused by certain reasons. Hemangiomas should be treated in time and you should pay more attention to your health in life.

Hemangioma is a congenital benign tumor or vascular malformation, which is more common in infants at birth or shortly after birth. It originates from residual embryonic angioblasts. Active endothelial-like germs invade adjacent tissues to form endothelial-like cords, which are then connected to the remaining blood vessels after tubulation to form hemangiomas. The blood vessels in the tumor form their own system and are not connected to the surrounding blood vessels. Hemangiomas occurring in the oral and maxillofacial region account for 60% of all hemangiomas in the body, most of which occur in the facial skin, subcutaneous tissue, and oral mucosa, such as the tongue, lips, and floor of mouth, and a few occur in the jawbone or deep tissue.

Causes

During the development of the human embryo, especially in the early stage of vascular tissue differentiation, a small range of misconfiguration of the controlling gene segment leads to abnormal tissue differentiation in specific parts and the development of hemangiomas. In the early embryonic stage (August to December), the embryonic tissue suffers mechanical damage, and local tissue bleeding causes some hematopoietic stem cells to be distributed to other embryonic characteristic cells, some of which differentiate into vascular-like tissue and eventually form hemangiomas.

Clinical manifestations

1. Capillary hemangioma

Tumors are composed of large numbers of intertwined, dilated capillaries. It appears as bright red or purple patches. It is flush with the skin surface or slightly raised, with clear boundaries, irregular shapes and varying sizes. When the tumor is pressed with the fingers, the color fades; when the pressure is released, the color returns.

2. Cavernous hemangioma

The tumor is composed of enlarged vascular lumens and sinusoids lined by endothelial cells. The blood sinuses vary in size and have a sponge-like structure. The sinus cavities are filled with venous blood and communicate with each other. It presents as an asymptomatic, slow-growing soft mass. When the head is in a low position, the tumor expands due to congestion; when the body returns to normal position, the mass returns to its original shape. Superficial tumors have a bluish-purple appearance on the skin or mucous membrane. For deeper ones, the skin color is normal. The mass was soft, with unclear borders and no tenderness when palpated. The lump shrinks when squeezed and returns to its original size when the pressure is released.

3. Racemose hemangioma

It is mainly formed by the anastomosis of dilated arteries and veins. The tumor is elevated and has a bead-like or earthworm-like shape. There is a pulsation and thrill on palpation, and a blowing murmur on auscultation. If all the blood supplying arteries are compressed and blocked, the above-mentioned pulsation and murmur will disappear.