Please explain what hemangioma is and how it's treated.
Answered by admin
Question:
My daughter was diagnosed with a deep hemangioma when she was 8 weeks old. Our pediatrician has said that it is nothing to worry about, but I would still like to know how big these can grow to, when they’re expected to stop growing, and if they can be removed.
Answer:
Most hemangiomas are nothing to worry about as long as they do not impact on important structures such as the eyes. They can continue to grow until 1 year of age. Pulsed laser treatment may lessen the overlying pink strawberry component, but no laser treatment helps the deeper blue component. Hemangiomas begin to involute sometime around the 1st year of life with 10% improvement expected with each year of life up to 9-10 years. We generally intervene with an attempt at cosmetic improvement, at the early stages, and before children start school.