THE CLASSIFICATION OF VASCULAR MALFORMATIONS AND NEOPLASMS

Vascular malformations and neoplasms are very common skin disorders, f ound in up to 5% of newborns. However, a clear distinction has to be m ade between proliferating vascular lesions and permanent malformations . An exact classification is also extremely useful, since many new spe cific diagnostic and therapeutic measures have been developed in recen t years. True proliferating tumors are, for example, childhood hemangi omas,glomus tumors, granuloma pyogenicum,tufted angiomas, senile angio mas, and malignant vascular lesions. Vascular malformations can affect capillaries, veins or arteries, as well as lymphatic vessels. Arterio venous shunts and combined malformations may also exist (Hamburg class ification). Nevi flammei, nevi anaemici, hematolymphangiomas, angioker atotic nevi, circumscribed venous-arterious malformations,and the blue -rubber-blebnevus-syndrome may either be infiltrating or circumscribed and are characterised by a persistence of the primitive vessel networ k. In contrast, other malformations involve various vascular trunks, s howing vessel dilatation or obstruction, often combined with changes i n bone or soft tissue. Significant large vessel malformations are the Bockenheimer syndrome, the Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome and the Parkes-W eber syndrome. Combinations involving both large trunks and extravascu lar space such as the Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome also occur.