Strawberry naevi (capillary haemangioma) are usually not present at birth but may develop rapidly in the first month of life. They appear as erythematous, raised and multilobed tumours.
Typically they increase in size until around 6-9 months before regressing over the next few years (around 95% resolve before 10 years of age).
Common sites include the face, scalp and back. Rarely they may be present in the upper respiratory tract leading to potential airway obstruction
Capillary haemangiomas are present in around 10% of white infants. Female infants, premature infants and those of mothers who have undergone chorionic villous sampling are more likely to be affected
Potential complications
If treatment is required (e.g. Visual field obstruction) then propranolol is increasingly replacing systemic steroids as the treatment of choice. Topical beta-blockers such as timolol are also sometimes used.
The mechanism is thought to involve vasoconstriction, decreased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and induction of apoptosis in capillary endothelial cells. Propranolol has largely replaced corticosteroids as the treatment of choice due to its superior efficacy and better side effect profile.
Cavernous haemangioma is a deep capillary haemangioma