Alternate Names : Strawberry mark, Vascular skin changes, Angioma cavernosum, Capillary hemangioma, Hemangioma simplex
Definition
Red birthmarks are colored, blood vessel (vascular) skin markings that develop before or shortly after birth.
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
There are two main categories of birthmarks.
- Red birthmarks are made up of blood vessels close to the skin surface, and are called vascular birthmarks.
- Pigmented birthmarks are areas in which the color of the birthmark is different from the color of the rest of the skin.
Hemangiomas are a common vascular birthmark. Their cause is unknown. The color results from the development of blood vessels at the site.
Strawberry hemangiomas (strawberry mark, nevus vascularis, capillary hemangioma, hemangioma simplex) may develop several weeks after birth.
Cavernous hemangiomas (angioma cavernosum, cavernoma) are similar to strawberry hemangiomas but they are deeper.
Salmon patches (stork bites) are extremely common, appearing on 30-50% of newborns.
A port-wine stain is a flat hemangioma made of dilated blood capillaries. Port wine stains on the face may be associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome.
Pictures & Images
Stork bite
A stork bite is a vascular lesion quite common in newborns consisting of one or more pale red patches of skin. Most often stork bites appear on the forehead, eyelids, tip of the nose, upper lip or back of the neck. They are usually gone within 18 months of birth.
Hemangioma on the face (nose)
Hemangiomas are tumors made-up of dilated blood vessels that usually appear shortly after birth, although they may be present at birth. Hemangiomas on the face can be disfiguring and may interfere with visual development or cause obstruction of the airway.
Hemangioma on the chin
This child has a juvenile hemangioma (strawberry hemangioma) on the chin. These may begin as flat, red spots and later become larger and elevated. Juvenile hemangiomas often go away (involute) spontaneously.
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Birthmarks – red : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Birthmarks – red : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Birthmarks – red : Treatment
Review Date : 10/3/2008
Reviewed By : Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
