Fingertip capillary malformation and associated disorders: Report of 9 cases

Abstract

Although capillary malformations (CMs) are not usually serious health problems in themselves, they can occasionally be warning signs for syndromes with more serious or aggressive vascular malformations not readily apparent at birth or on initial examination. We describe a series of 9 patients with a common phenotype: (1) CM on the fingertips; (2) associated combined vascular (lymphatic-venous) malformations on the trunk and/or extremities; and (3) in some cases, partial overgrowth and asymmetry of the extremities. Data were collected retrospectively for patients with CM on the fingertips who were treated at 2 Vascular Anomalies Centers from January 2006 to January 2016. All the patients presented CM and other associated vascular abnormalities from birth. CMs were centripetal in their distribution. The greater the centripetal progression of the CM, the greater the associated vascular malformation observed. Some patients also presented varying degrees of overgrowth and asymmetry. At present, we have not found a patient with CM of the fingertip without associated anomalies. In conclusion, we present a series of patients with a particular morphology of CM located on the fingertips. All cases were associated with lymphatic-venous malformations at other sites. These data lead us to recommend these patients be referred from birth to a multidisciplinary unit of vascular anomalies.