History

Hemangiomas and Vascular Birthmarks occur in approximately 40,000 children born annually. One in ten children are born with a vascular birthmark, and of these children, 1 in 100 are born with a birthmark that will require the opinion of a medical specialist. There are two categories of vascular birthmarks. These are hemangiomas, which are the most common tumor of infancy, and vascular malformations. These two categories, while related, are very different. It is very important to know the difference because the treatment is different depending on the lesion type.

Traditional medical protocol in years past was to allow these potentially disfiguring and dangerous lesions to grow and "wait" for regression or involution to occur. New data indicates that most of these lesions do not regress to a cosmetically acceptable appearance, and will, therefore, require some form of corrective surgery. As a result, there is a concerted effort on the part of several prominent physicians and research specialists to change the old "benign neglect" protocol to require more aggressive early intervention. Additionally, almost all benign vascular lesions have been called "hemangiomas." However, many are actually vascular malformations. It is important to have an accurate diagnosis since hemangiomas will regress but vascular malformations will continue to grow. This web site is dedicated to provide the most accurate and up to date information on the proper diagnosis and treatment of hemangiomas and other vascular birthmarks. This information is not only important for parents, it is critical for physicians and other health care providers.

Linda Rozell Shannon is the President and F