Hemangioma

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Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors

When to seek medical advice Tests and diagnosis Complications Treatments and drugs

Definition

Birthmarks come in all shapes and sizes. A hemangioma, one of the most common types of birthmarks, develops when blood vessels group together in one place in the skin.

A hemangioma — once known specifically as a strawberry hemangioma — is bright red and protrudes from the skin. It grows during the first year of life and then recedes over time. A hemangioma doesn't hurt and isn't a sign of illness.

Treatment for a hemangioma isn't usually needed. By age 9, a child who had a hemangioma in infancy usually has little visible trace of the growth.

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Symptoms