ABSTRACT
The International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) classification and the Hamburg classification are two new classifications that successfully replaced the old classification of congenital vascular malformations (CVMs) with the name-/syndrome-based concept in general. Although there are substantial differences between the two classifications, both are complementary, one with embryological criteria while the other with hemodynamic criteria for the CVMs. Many clinicians use parts of both classification systems. These advanced classification systems provide critical information on accurate diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of CVMs. With proper understanding of the vascular embryology of CVMs, the clinicians now can predict the clinical course and response to treatment, since the pathophysiology of CVMs depends in large part on the embryogenesis of the vasculature. Both classifications became integral parts of new guidelines for contemporary management of CVMs.
