Vascular Birthmark
Vascular birthmark is a skin discoloration caused
by clusters of blood vessels that are formed shortly after birth.
Symptoms
There are two forms of vascular birthmarks:
- Port-wine stain
A flat patch of pink, red, or purple skin on the face, neck,
arm, leg, and body. This patch may cover a large area. Pink
or light-red spots between the eye or at the nape of the neck
usually fade, whereas others may become thick and develop small
bumps.
- Strawberry mark or strawberry hemangioma
A bright red spot usually formed on the face, chest, and back.
Strawberry marks may increase in numbers rapidly during early
infancy.
Treatment for birthmark
Strawberry marks tend to shrink in size and decrease in numbers
without any treatment by the age of 7 to 9 years, whereas port-wine
stain may or may not fade away.
Treatments for these birthmarks are usually done when they occur
over the eye, mouth, nose, or ear, and are interfering with vision,
breathing, or hearing. These treatments include:
- Laser surgery
- Oral steroid medications, such as prednisone
