Cherry Hemangioma Clinical Presentation
- Author: Clarence William Brown Jr, MD; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD more...
History
Cherry angiomas typically present in the third or fourth decades of life, and early lesions may appear as small red macules. Lesions may be found on all body sites, but usually, the mucous membranes are spared. Most patients report an increase in number and size of individual lesions with advancing age.
Physical
On physical examination, lesions may have a variable appearance, ranging from a small red macule to a larger dome-topped or polypoid papule. The color of the lesions typically is described as bright cherry red, but the lesions may appear more violaceous at times (see the image below).
A large polypoid angioma, deeply red to violaceous cherry, appears in the center of the field. Surrounding the angioma are several small bright red macules and papules that represent cherry hemangiomas in the earlier stages of evolution. Rarely, a lesion demonstrates a dark brown to an almost black color when a hemorrhagic plug occupies the vascular lumen, often raising concern about the possibility of a malignant melanoma.
Causes
Little is known about the factors that contribute to the formation of cherry hemangiomas. Several reports have described the appearance of many small red papules histologically resembling cherry hemangiomas in patients with malignancies,[1] although most lesions occur in healthy patients.
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