What are angiomas?

A skin angioma looks like a small flat dot or a slightly convex drop with a diameter of 2-3 mm to several centimeters with a smooth or bumpy red surface. Favorite localization sites are the face, neck, chest, back, and arms. It most often appears as a single vascular formation, but multiple variants are possible. Acquired angioma occurs as a result of micro-traumatic skin injuries and is not associated with liver disease.

Types of angiomas

Depending on the structure, angiomas are classified into the following types:
- Simple or capillary angioma is the most common type, resulting from the excessive growth of young capillaries.
- Cavernous or cavernous angioma - looks like a soft elastic node and consists of blood-filled cavities.
- Branched angioma is a rare and dangerous variant, which is a tangle of pulsating vessels. It is usually located on the face, upper or lower extremities. Injury is fraught with massive bleeding.
- Spider or stellate angioma is a neoplasm with a papule in the center and numerous tortuous capillaries along the periphery.

The main and unmistakable method of diagnosing angiomas on the face and body is clinical examination and dermatoscopy.
Laser angioma removal is the most modern and effective treatment method. Penetrating into the skin without direct contact, incisions and pain, laser radiation is selectively absorbed by red blood cells (erythrocytes). As a result of this interaction, the blood in the vessels of the tumor coagulates, leading to coagulation (gluing of the vascular walls) and regression of the pathological focus. According to individual indications, instead of laser coagulation, the patient may be recommended an alternative technique: electrocautery (cauterization with electric current); cryodestruction (destruction with liquid nitrogen).

Author: Dermatovenerologist Olga Bahriy