Diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions

Cutaneous vascular lesions are the most common pediatric birthmarks. Flat vascular malformations tend to persist, but raised vascular lesions, known as hemangiomas, generally involute. Although not always necessary, treatment of flat lesions, if desired, is best accomplished with flash-lamp pumped pulsed dye laser. Therapy of hemangiomas varies depending on the presence of associated symptoms or syndromes. Specifically, hemangiomas that are likely to lead to loss of function or life (e.g., lesions of internal organs, lesions associated with coagulopathy) should be treated promptly. Treatment may also be required for hemangiomas that are likely to lead to scarring when the lesion involutes, such as hemangiomas of the nose and lip. The natural history of hemangiomas includes proliferative, stationary and involutional phases. Many superficial hemangiomas resolve with minimal sequelae.