Cutaneous Venous Malformations
Cutaneous Venous Malformations (VMs) are common, benign, present-at-birth vascular birthmarks made of malformed, dilated veins, appearing as blue/purple, soft, compressible skin swellings that often grow proportionally with the child and can become painful or bleed, especially with hormonal changes or activity, sometimes requiring treatment like sclerotherapy. While usually isolated, they can be part of syndromes like Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome (BRBNS) and may involve deep tissues, causing functional issues. Key features include dependence on gravity (worse when hanging down), phleboliths (calcified clots) on X-ray, and sometimes associated clotting disorders (LIC).
