Hemangioma: review of literature.

Hemangiomas are tumors identifed by rapid endothelial cell proliferation in early infancy, followed by involution over time. All other abnormalities are malformations resulting from anomalous development of vascular plexuses. The malformations have a normal endothelial cell growth cycle that affects the veins, the capillaries or the lymphatics and they do not involute. Hemangiomas are the most common tumors of infancy and are characterized by a proliferating and involuting phase. They are seen more commonly in whites than in blacks, more in females than in males in a ratio of 3:1.