Introduction

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is also known as “strawberry mark” and “immature hemangioma;” the other names, “capillary hemangioma” and “cavernous hemangioma,” have long caused confusion with vascular malformations. IH is a very frequent benign vascular tumor that grows rapidly in an infant over a period of a few weeks or months after birth (the proliferating phase). Then it slowly and constantly regresses over some years (the involuting phase), to leave nearly normal skin, or skin and shape changes (the involuted phase). This third stage is rarely reached at the age of 1 or 2 years, and is most commonly attained around 5 or 6 years, and sometimes not before 10 years. No such tumor occurs in an adolescent or adult; thus, using the wording “hemangioma” or “capillary hemangioma” for a vascular tumor appearing in an adolescent or an adult is misleading.

IHs affect about 10% of children. Dark-skinned infants have a lower incidence than fair-skinned infants. Transcervical chorionic villus sampling increases the risk of IH in the newborn, but not amniocentesis.

The incidence of hemangioma is increased in premature infants of very low birth weight (under 1000 g) (4). A group of US Pediatric Dermatologists, the Hemangioma Investigator Group, confirmed this finding in a prospective study presented at the NIH-sponsored research workshop held in April 2005 at the Bethesda Campus (41).