Angioma

Sinonimi: Haemangioma, Hemangioma

Benign tumors (lesions) of the skin blood vessels. They form through a process of proliferation (multiplication) of endotelnih ćelija of the blood vessel..

Types of angioma in adults:

• Cherry angiomas
• Spider angiomas
• Venous like

This angioma (appearance of cherry fruit) is usually noticed as a set of small oval reddish growths on our body. Their size varies from 1 to 6mm in diameter, they can be larger, though extremely rare. Angiomas from 1 to 3 mm in size are practically flush to the skin, larger ones can be felt as slight elevations. They are usually red, though they can be blue, black or a combination of these colors. Their number increases during the lifetime, especially after the age of 40. They can appear on any part of the body, but they are usually located on the torso.

Cherry angioma

It is unknown why thea form. But the usually mentioned causes are genetics and skin sun damage.

It’s not a cause of any functional or other types of nuisance and it can become infected only exceptionally rare. They can only cause an esthetic concern, much more so if the location is on the face. Rarely they can be injured, and in such cases, simply applying mild pressure to it for a few minutes is usually enough to stop the bleeding.

Angiomas looking like a spider are noticed as a red lesion of the skin with a more thick and color intense center with radially spreading linear spokes red in color (like the legs of a spider).

It appears in children as well as in adults. It pronouncedly appears in periods of increased estrogen functions in women (i.e. pregnancy), but also in cases of impaired liver function.

Spider angioma (Nevus araneus)

Angiomas looking like veins are presented as bluish, reddish or pinkish, usually oval bumps (elevations) on the lips.

Venous like

They are commonly diagnosed based on their appearance (by eye). Although, sometimes they can’t be easily distinguished from skin cancers, melanomas in particular (black elevated angiomas look like a nodular melanoma), Basal cell carcinomas and angiokeratomas. In such cases, digital dermoscopy, which is a sovereign identifier of angioma’s lobular structure unlike any other skin tumor, is of great assistance. In rare complicated cases, ultrasonic or magnetic resonance diagnostics can be usefull.

Angiomas are harmless skin tumors which do not require removal.

Never the less, if they present any, above all esthetic nuisances, they can be effectively removed with the following methods :

1. Laser
2. Electrosurgery
3. Cryosurgery