Vascular Anomalies Diagnosis and Management

Vascular anomalies comprise a spectrum of congenital and acquired disorders affecting blood and lymphatic vessels. They are broadly divided into vascular tumours, such as infantile haemangiomas, and vascular malformations, including capillary, venous, lymphatic and arteriovenous subtypes. Accurate diagnosis rests on clinical history, physical examination and multimodal imaging—ultrasound for flow assessment, magnetic resonance imaging to define extent and dynamic angiography for high‐flow lesions. Molecular profiling, notably mutations in the RAS–MAPK and PI3K–AKT pathways, is increasingly integrated into classification and risk stratification. Management demands a multidisciplinary approach. Many infantile haemangiomas respond to beta‐blockade, whereas low‐flow malformations benefit from sclerotherapy with agents tailored to lesion type. High‐flow arteriovenous malformations often require staged embolisation or surgical resection, sometimes combined with targeted pharmacotherapy such as mTOR inhibitors. Long‐term follow-up addresses recurrence, functional impairment and psychosocial impact. Emerging techniques aim to refine agent delivery, improve real‐time imaging guidance and personalise care based on lesion biology.

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Vascular Anomalies Diagnosis and Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in vascular anomalies diagnosis and management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Vascular anomaly: A disorder of blood or lymphatic vessels, encompassing tumours and malformations.

Haemangioma: A benign vascular tumour characterised by rapid infancy-onset growth followed by gradual involution.

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM): A high-flow lesion with direct arterial to venous shunting without capillary bed.

Lymphatic malformation (LM): A low-flow lesion arising from abnormal lymphatic channels, often macrocystic or microcystic.

Sclerotherapy: Percutaneous injection of a chemical agent to induce vessel fibrosis and obliteration.

Embolisation: Endovascular occlusion of a lesion’s blood supply using coils, particles or liquid agents under image guidance.

References

1. Novel radiopaque ethanol injection: physicochemical properties, animal experiments, and clinical application in vascular malformations. Military Medical Research (2024).
2. Vascular lesions of the head and neck: an update on classification and imaging review. Insights into Imaging (2020).
3. Lymphatic malformations in children: treatment outcomes of sclerotherapy in a large cohort. European Journal of Pediatrics (2020).