Psychological Impact of Cutaneous Congenital Vascular Lesions

Cutaneous congenital vascular lesions are the most common pediatric birthmarks. These vascular lesions are abnormalities of blood vessels, both arterial and venous, that appear at birth or in infancy [1]. They are classically divided into hemangiomas and vascular malformations; hemangiomas tend to spontaneously involute while vascular malformations tend to persist [2,3]. Congenital lesions are most commonly found on the head and neck and while many are benign isolated findings, some lesions may be part of a congenital syndrome such as Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, Sturge-Weber syndrome and others [4-6]. Congenital vascular lesions, especially those found in readily visible sites, can lead to psychological distress for both the patient and family members secondary to perceived deformities or disfiguration [7].