Hemangioma

Hemangioma is a benign tumor, usually in the shape of a ball, but sometimes a flatter mat, formed by a collection of excess blood vessels in an area. Because blood vessel cells are usually transparent in thin smooth muscle cells, hemangiomas are usually the color of the blood that runs through them. If the blood has a lot of oxygen, or is more arterial, the color is usually bright red. If the color is dark, the blood is usually low in oxygen, venous or possibly stagnated.

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Hemangiomas are relatively common in newborns, and tend to disappear without treatment. The appearance of the tumor may be mistaken for a sign of physical abuse.

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Hemangiomas are mostly commonly cited as a skin related abnormality. However, various types of Hemangiomas can occur within the body. Common internal occurrences of hemangiomas include the liver, among other organs (Cavernous Hemangioma).

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Benign tumor: A benign tumor is a tumor that lacks all three of the malignant properties of a cancer. Thus, by definition, a benign tumor does not grow in an unlimited, aggressive manner, does not invade surrounding tissues, and does not metastasize. Common examples of benign tumors include moles and uterine fib...

Blood vessel: The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. The most important types, arteries and veins, are so termed because they carry blood away from or towards the heart, respectively....

Smooth muscle: Smooth muscle is a type of non-striated muscle, found within the "walls" of hollow organs; such as blood vessels, the bladder, the uterus, and the gastrointestinal tract. Smooth muscle is used to move matter within the body, via contraction; it generally operates "involuntarily", without nerve stimu...