Microvenular hemangioma

Microvenular hemangioma
Synonyms
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Small, red to purple papules or nodules
Complications
Onset
Duration
Types
Causes	Unknown
Risks
Diagnosis	Skin biopsy
Differential diagnosis	Cherry angioma, Spider angioma, Kaposi sarcoma
Prevention
Treatment	Surgical excision
Medication
Prognosis	Excellent
Frequency	Rare
Deaths	N/A

Microvenular hemangioma is a rare, benign vascular lesion that typically presents as a slowly growing, solitary, red or purple papule or plaque. It was first described in 1980 by Winkelmann and Muller. The lesion is characterized by a proliferation of small, thin-walled venules in the superficial dermis.

Clinical Presentation

Microvenular hemangioma usually presents as a solitary, slowly growing, red or purple papule or plaque. The lesion is typically less than 1 cm in diameter, but larger lesions have been reported. The most common location is the extremities, but it can occur anywhere on the body. There is no gender or age predilection.

Histopathology

Histologically, microvenular hemangioma is characterized by a proliferation of small, thin-walled venules in the superficial dermis. The venules are lined by a single layer of flat endothelial cells. There is usually a sparse perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate. The overlying epidermis and dermis are usually normal.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of microvenular hemangioma is based on the clinical presentation and histopathological findings. Other vascular lesions, such as capillary hemangioma and venous lake, should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment is usually not necessary as microvenular hemangioma is a benign lesion. However, if the lesion is bothersome or cosmetically unacceptable, it can be removed by surgical excision or laser therapy.

See Also

• Vascular lesion
• Hemangioma
• Capillary hemangioma
• Venous lake

References

• Winkelmann RK, Muller SA. Microvenular hemangioma. Arch Dermatol. 1980;116(6):664-667.