What are vascular anomalies?

Vascular anomalies (abnormalities) occur in blood or lymph vessels. There are two major types: hemangiomas and vascular malformations.

Hemangiomas are benign (non-cancerous) tumors consisting of blood vessels that multiply at an unusually rapid rate. Vascular malformations are composed of abnormally formed blood or lymph vessels. Although the lesions in these two groups often look similar, they are biologically quite different and require different treatments. Although they can occur anywhere on the body or in the deep organs, vascular anomalies are most common on the face and neck.

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