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Vascular lesions 2006-08-31 Dear Dr. Proskiw, My daughter is 5 years old and has developed a small spider vein on her cheek just below her right eye. It really hasn’t changed in the last 6 months and doesn’t seem to bother her. My mother however tells me that spider veins grow and eventually may impair her vision. How serious is this? Answer: This sounds like a spider vein and is completely benign. Your mother may be confusing this small spider vein with other vascular lesions such as a Port Wine Stain or hemangioma. Port Wine Stains and hemangiomas do require treatment and can become serious. Small spider veins or angiomas as they are called are extremely common in children and are harmless. You will be relieved to know that 30% of growing children develop these small veins at some time during their development but 90% resolve spontaneously between the ages of 12 – 14 years of age. They usually don’t require any treatment at all unless the child or parents become conscious of their cosmetic appearance. These spider veins are small, bright red and have tiny veins radiating out from a brighter red centre.. They are usually 5 -10 mm. in diameter. These veins do not grow into larger veins involving the eye and are only a cosmetic concern. What treatment is available for this? Answer: Since these small veins usually resolve spontaneously I would suggest a wait and see approach for your daughter. If she begins to complain and become self conscious of its appearance it can be easily treated in office with a pulsed dye laser. Pulsed dye lasers are safe and literally can treat this type of lesion in less than 2 seconds. One to two laser treatments are usually successful in completely removing the spider vein. Is this a type of birthmark? Answer: No. Vascular birthmarks are less common and are present at birth. There are also other vascular lesions that can develop shortly after birth called hemangiomas and are characterized by rapid growth that can involve other structures around the eye, neck, mouth, etc. These lesions require specialized treatments at the right time in their development with coordinated consultations between a pediatrician and laser surgeon. If you are concerned about any lesion you should see your primary care physician. Recommended Links: http://aestheticsolutions.ca/procedures/pulse-dye.html

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