ABSTRACT
Vascular anomalies include a number of conditions of distinct pathology, which may be classified as either vascular tumours or vascular malformations. This chapter considers the advances in our understanding of vascular anomalies, the subsequent evolution of nomenclature, classification and current management strategies. The dichotomous biological system of Mulliken and Glowacki originally considered vascular lesions in infants and children as haemangiomas or malformations. Congestive cardiac failure is an unusual complication, seen most often in the context of either diffuse disease in the neonatal period or alternatively as a result of arteriovenous fistulation within large visceral haemangiomas, causing cardiac insufficiency. Kaposiform haemangioepitheliomas are vascular tumours which behave far more aggressively than simple haemangiomas, from which they have only recently been definitively distinguished. In keeping with other vascular malformations, Capillary malformations (CM) may be associated with skeletal and limb abnormalities, even in the absence of other syndromic features.
