Visceral hemangiomas

Abstract

A small but significant percentage of hemangiomas develop at an extracutaneous location. The location has important prognostic and therapeutic implications. These hemangiomas are difficult to detect on physical examination and imaging studies are required in order to assess both size and behavior. An extracutaneous hemangioma is more serious than a cutaneous one. When detected in an infant, immediate intervention is required. In this chapter we describe the unique characteristics of central nervous system hemangiomas (that occur on the surface of the brain and spinal cord), parotid gland hemangiomas (in which the high overall response rate to pharmacological treatment does not exclude surgical treatment), thoracic hemangiomas (emphasizing the difficult differential diagnosis of intramuscular and congenital heart hemangiomas), and abdominal hemangiomas (with special focus on the management of focal, multicentric and diffuse liver hemangiomas - formerly known as hemangioendotheliomas - as well as the less common group of intestinal or genito-urinary hemangiomas). © 2009 Springer-Verlag Milan.