Are hemangiomas hereditary?

[manijo]

Hi everyone. I have a little boy with an H on the lower lip. I was wondering if anynone knows if the Hs are hereditary.
Are there any parents having two children with H?
Our plastic surgeon told us that it is a random fact.
But two nephews of my husband's have Hs and I have heard another two cases of two brothers that had two babies each, and every single one of them has an H.
If anyone knows something please share.
Thank you
Maria

[Sam's Mom]

My experience with your question is a bit strange. When we had started seeing the specialists (dermatology, ENT) for my son's hemangioma, every doctor asked us if anyone in the family had had a hemangioma as part of their intake.

In fact, I did have one on my upper lip as a baby although it never required any treatment and involuted early enough that I have no memory of it - there's just a tiny mark left on my lip which you wouldn't notice unless I pointed it out to you.

However, having asked me that question and hearing my answer, every one of them then said that it was not hereditary and that there was no link. If that's the case, why did they ask the initial question? I don't know. But now that we seem to be on the downhill part of this journey, I do plan to ask our doc what the implications are for another pregnancy.

(That was the longest possible version of "I don't know" wasn't it?)

[ashesmom]

My now 5 year old had one that never got larger then the size of a pea under his eye, it went away on its own after 2 years (went from red to gray and then gone almost overnight). My daughter had one in her eyelid and eye orbit and my younger brother had one on his arm. I think that this is too much of a coincidence for this to not be linked to heredity somehow. My opinion anyhow.....

[missy]

There is no evidence that hemangiomas are hereditary. I know of some studies that concentrate on the placenta, though. Physicians who are removing hemangiomas say that the tissue is very similar to placental tissue, from what I understand. They *think* it might be a piece that traveled. 85% of hemangiomas are head and neck ones. Since that is the area most fetuses are working the hardest on...

So, if you had an issue with your placenta during one pregnancy, then maybe you would have an issue in subsequent pregnancies. Also, you would not have to have even known or suspected that this might occur.

All of this is NOT proven, NOT science and keep in mind that I'm the webmaster! LOL! But for what it's worth, if you are interested, you might google "hemangioma" and "placenta" together and see what you get!

Missy

[jgoodman0814]

I Too Think It A Bit Strange That They Ask You If Anyone Else In The Family Has One, Since They Asked Us The Same Question, If Its Not Hereditary. My Daughter Has One On Her Arm, My Husbands Nephew Has One On His Lower Back, His Cousin Had A Pws On Her Forehead And Back Of Neck And His Other Cousin Had One On Her Thigh.

[manijo]

Thank you everone for sharing your opinions and experiences.
I also think that they are hereditary.
My pregnancy was very good, I didn't have any problems, I didn't smoke, I didn't drink, I ate properly and I gave birth at 39 weeks.
My son aprt from the H on his lowr lip, he had ather 5 or 6 really small Hs (like the tip of a pin) in his left cheek. Every time he had a laser treatmet for his lip, he had a laser treatment for a new one small H on his cheek.
They asked me if he was a premature baby, because Hs usuall told me appear in these babies.
Any way one other doctor, not my baby's doctor, told me that it is hereditary, but the chances to have a second baby with a H are small.
I am not really convinced.
Is there anyway you can tell during pregnancy in order to be prepared?
Thank you again!

[Caitlin's Mum]

We've been asking the same thing!! Our daughter was born with an H on the cheek of her bottom and has 2 more h 'freckles' elsewhere.
She has two cousins on her father's side with birthmarks on their face, one with a PWS and the other with a mark (I'm not sure what kind) that was surgically removed.
she also has a cousin on my side of the family born with a birthmark on cheek (face). It looked like a stork bite. It still visable at 4 1/2 yrs but has faded slightly.

All a bit co-incidental??

Towards the end of the pregnancy with Caitlin we had a 4D scan, where you could see incredible detail, including colouration differences between her lips and skin, but I'm not sure whether this is based on skin angles rather than pigmentation. My sisters-in-law wondered whether it would have shown up their wee girls' birthmark...

[Rachel06]

This is a very common question - one we asked too. Now, after some years of involvement, here is what I have been told. That it is NOT hereditary, but it occurs in 10% if caucasian babies - that is a huge number. There is something that "triggers" the cells to "mutate" so that is why it would usually not be visible on an early sonogram. There are some new papers coming out soon on research about the development of the cells that mutate. I am anxious to read the papers too. I hope this is helpful. Good luck in your search for answers and treatment.
Sherri Foster
Patient Advocate
Vascular Birthmark Institute
of New York

[AubrieB]

All the doctors that I have seen say that they aren't, but I'm with some of you who think that it isn't just coincidence. Every boy in this generation on my husbands side of the family have had atleast one hemangioma. My son has 7. I just don't see how that can be coincidence. Know what I mean?

[manijo]

I know exactly what you mean.
Even though most doctors say it isn't I am convinced that it is.
My husband cousin and his daughter had an H. Another nephew (boy) and a cousin (woman) had one too. That was what they told me at first. They told me don't worry, it s nothing, it will go away, Anta had it, MNick had it etc.
But now when I tell them that it is hereditary all of my husband's relatives tell me that theirs was not the same thing. It was something else, different colour etc. That is why I am not really sure.
Thanks again