Josh and AVM
Josh was born on May 24, 2002. In late June, we became concerned about a small red mark on his heel and then
later discovered another one on his head.
This is what the pediatrician in Boston said she
thought Joshua has on his foot:
Venous Malformations is an abnormality of the larger, deep veins and is
often called a "hemangioma." Some actually look like hemangiomas
but a good history will reveal whether or not the lesion is a hemangioma
or vascular malformation. A venous malformation can be deep or
superficial, localized or diffused. The closer the vessels are to the
surface, the deeper the color to the eye. A very deep lesion will have no
color but will show a protruding mass. The jaw, cheek, tongue and lips are
common sites for a venous malformation. These lesions are soft to the
touch, the color disappears and empties as the lesion is compressed. When
the child cries or is lying down, the lesion expand, the vessels fill and
the color becomes more intense. The natural history is a slow-steady
enlargement. Regardless of how small it is upon detection, it will grow.
Certain things can cause them to grow more rapidly such as serious
sickness, trauma, infection, hormone changes (puberty, pregnancy, men!
opause). Partial removal is not rec
Lymphatic Malformations used to be called cystic hygroma,
hemangiolymphangioma, or lymphangiomas. The lymphatics serve as a
collection and transfer system for tiisue fluids. When something disturbs
this system, a lymphatic malformation is formed. The excess fluid
accumulates and the affected lymphatic vessels enlarge and you see a mass.
If the lymph vessels in the face are affected, the face swells because the
normal active transport mechanism has been disturbed. These lesions can
occur anywhere but are common in the head and neck area. These lesions may
be superficial or deep (superficial ones are seen in the mouth area and
look like frogs eggs) . These lesions increase or grow with the
individual. They may enlarge following an upper respiratory infection.
Arteriovenous Malformations are always present at birth but are usually
not noticed until later in life. Sometimes they do not appear until
adulthood. Defective blood flow has been associated with these lesions. As
the lesion ages, the vessels enlarge and thicken to compensate for the
increased blood supply. There are two grades: low and high. Low grade grow
slowly with the child and high grade expand rapidly, growing faster than
the child until the lesion may eventually become life threatening. An AV
malformation is a firm mass. Common sites are the lips and other head and
neck areas. Mixed malformations include a combination of two or more
vascular lesions.
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