Having healthy skin can make a person look younger than their age and a person look attractive. It also helps to boost one’s confidence in social settings. Healthy skin is more than just for cosmetic purposes as it can signify a person’s health condition. There are many kinds of skin issues that can cause a person to either be worried of how they look or causing discomfort. In this DoctorOnCall’s article, we will learn about a skin disorder known as cherry angioma that may cause worries to a lot of people.
Cherry angioma is a small and benign growth seen on skin. It is a common skin appearance with small and red growths on the skin. To understand what exactly is cherry angioma, it is best to know what haemangioma is. Haemangioma is a benign skin lesion affecting the blood vessels close to the skin. It is due to the proliferation of endothelial cells which are cells that line within the blood vessels. Thus, cherry angioma is a small papular angioma and is known as true capillary haemangioma. Another name for cherry angioma is Campbell de Morgan spots. Some even call cherry angioma as senile angiomas.
It is not exactly known why cherry angioma occurs but most have theorised due to the ageing process. Some said it is caused by mutation in genetics causing the lesion. Cherry angiomas are often linked to hormonal changes such as in pregnancy. Cherry angioma tends to grow in size and number as a person grows older, particularly around the age of 30 and 40 years old. This is why it is also known as senile angiomas. Even so, about 5% of adolescents have been found with cherry angiomas.
Despite the exact causes being unknown, there are risk factors which can lead to higher risk for developing cherry angioma. This includes hormonal changes, exposure to sun, certain medications and HPV infection. Some may even say that living in hot and humid places can increase the likelihood of developing cherry angiomas.
Cherry angiomas usually do not cause symptoms besides the skin lesion. Despite being named as cherry angiomas which is identical to the colour of red, some of the bumps can appear as black in colour. It may even seem as purple when a dermatoscope is being used to check the lesion. Cherry angiomas are typically smooth in texture. It can be flat or slightly raised. The size can be very small of a pinhead but may grow as large as quarter-inch in diameter. Larger growth is more common in the elderly. Cherry angiomas can be found on any part of the body but commonly seen on the shoulder, arm, trunks and legs. It is rare for cherry angioma to be seen on the face. Cherry angiomas often exist in multiple numbers scattered.
Diagnosing cherry angiomas is mostly based on the skin appearance. Usage of dermatoscope can help physicians see the skin lesions clearly up close. However, due to the fact that cherry angioma may resemble other skin conditions that can be a concern such as melanoma, some physicians may perform biopsy. Biopsy is a procedure of obtaining small tissue samples to be checked under a microscope.
Treatment for cherry angiomas is usually for cosmetic purposes. Some may also seek treatment as they are worried that the cherry angiomas are easily bled with trauma. There is no specific treatment as it does not produce symptoms that can pose great danger. Treatment includes cryotherapy, laser therapy and electrosurgery with electrocauterization. Treatment provided will depend on the size of the lesion. Recently, pulsed dye laser has been shown to be successful in clearing these lesions.
One of the questions commonly asked by patients is, “will cherry angioma go away?”. No, it does not go away by itself. Furthermore, instead of going away, it may become larger as a person grows older. However, there are already many effective treatment options available to remove it. These treatments only cause minimal discomfort and some may not even feel anything at all. There are no home remedies proven to eradicate the cherry angioma. What patients can do at home is to take care of their skin to reduce the likelihood of developing larger and more cherry angiomas. This includes protecting skin from sun by wearing sunscreen, avoiding smoke and to have a balanced meal. It is also recommended to avoid exposure to certain chemicals that may trigger cherry angiomas such as cyclosporine, topical nitrogen mustard, sulphur mustard gas and glycol ether solvent.
It can be concluded that cherry angiomas are benign skin conditions characterised by the skin growths that are commonly red in colour. It is usually small but can grow large as a person ages. This skin lesion does not cause any symptoms besides the skin appearance. Treatment is usually not needed but people may seek a way to get rid of the skin lesion to improve their appearance or to prevent bleeding following trauma.
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