True oral hemangioma is a developmental vascular malformation of capillaries. They tend to affect infants and young children with a slight female predilection. The lesions are not painful but will bleed if traumatized. They are usually present, but subtle, at birth, grow rapidly within the first few years of life, and then involute.
The more common vascular malformations in the oral cavity, loosely called hemangiomas, are proliferations of capillaries or venules that do not involute but persist and grow very slowly over years. They tend to occur on the tongue, buccal mucosa, and labial mucosa. The intrabony lesions are best classified as "vascular malformations."
Oral hemangioma - Oral Mucosal Lesion
Alerts and Notices
Synopsis
Codes
ICD10CM:
D10.30 – Benign neoplasm of unspecified part of mouth
SNOMEDCT:
403963001 – Hemangioma of oral cavity
D10.30 – Benign neoplasm of unspecified part of mouth
SNOMEDCT:
403963001 – Hemangioma of oral cavity
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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
- Lobular capillary hemangioma (pyogenic granuloma) is a reactive proliferation of blood vessels that occurs in adults and during pregnancy. It is usually present on the gingiva, buccal mucosa, or labial mucosa.
- Peripheral giant cell granuloma
- Kaposi sarcoma may present as a purplish-blue nodule with a tendency to bleed. It is seen in the oral cavity, primarily in those with AIDS.
- Oral varices
- Some abscesses may appear purplish-red, but these are always associated with an infectious process, odontogenic or otherwise.
- Leukemic infiltration
- Large varices may appear similar but generally occur in older individuals and are common on the lip.
- Sturge-Weber syndrome is a vascular malformation involving the soft tissues of the face and oral mucosa that follows the distribution of the trigeminal nerve. If the ophthalmic division is affected, there is usually concomitant meningeal involvement. Oral lesions are diffuse, purple plaques, and the overlying skin has a port-wine stain.
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
- Squamous cell carcinoma
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Therapy
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References
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Last Updated:10/30/2017
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Oral hemangioma - Oral Mucosal Lesion