Vascular Malformations
Vascular malformations are treated by our Vascular Anomalies Center. Vascular malformations are different from hemangiomas in that, where hemangiomas grow rapidly and then begin to shrink slowly, vascular malformations grow with the child and do not shrink. Also, vascular malformations can exert growth effects on nearby tissues, causing overgrowth, undergrowth, or disfigurement. Whereas hemangiomas are considered to be non-cancerous tumors because of their ability to proliferate on the cellular level, vascular malformations do not exhibit such proliferative potential. However, they may undergo enlargement during the adolescent growth spurt or in females taking birth control pills. Vascular malformations are classified based on vessel type (how they are supplied with blood: veins, arteries, and lymphatic vessels), and flow characteristics (how fast the blood flows to the area), and break down into the types outlined below: Types of Vascular Malformations
|
