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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
A hemangioma — once known as a strawberry hemangioma — is a birthmark that appears as a bright red patch or a nodule of extra blood vessels in the skin. It grows during the first year of life, and then recedes over time. A hemangioma is usually benign and isn't associated with other medical conditions.
Most often hemangioma doesn't require treatment. By age 10, a child who had a hemangioma in infancy usually has little visible trace of the growth.
References
- What is a vascular birthmark? American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_vascular.html. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Metry DW. Epidemiology; pathogenesis; clinical features; and complications of infantile hemangiomas. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 7, 2010.
- Metry DW. Management of infantile hemangiomas. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 7, 2010.
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