ARTERIOVENOUS HEMANGIOMA OF THE PALATE

Arteriovenous hemangioma is an acquired vascular lesion usually occurr ing on the extremities and in the perioral skin, including the lips. T he largest series of cases have been reported by Girard et al(1) and C onnelly and Winkelman.(2) Koutlas and Jessurun(3) have reported two in traoral cases. The arteriovenous hemangioma appears clinically as a sm all, red-blue, painless papule. Microscopically it consists of various sized vascular structures resembling veins and arteries that are sepa rated by a poorly cellular fibrous stroma. It occurs predominantly in middle age, and there is no sex predilection. Treatment is by simple e xcision. Despite the presence of arteriovenous shunts in some lesions, bleeding during excision is not a problem. In many of the reported ca ses, there are increased numbers of mast cells in the stroma. Arteriov enous hemangiomas are thought to arise by proliferation of the subpapi llary vascular plexus, possibly as a reaction to trauma or irritation. (3) An alternative theory suggests a hamartomatous proliferation of th e Sucquet-Hoyer glomus canal.(4) The purpose of this article is to rep ort an additional oral case.