Spine abnormalities and varicose veins: can be other associated problems.Epilepsy and other problems may then develop. This is due to extensive blood vessel abnormalities in the brain (the Sturge-Weber syndrome). Brain abnormalities: are an uncommon association with port-wine stains of the face.If a child has a port-wine stain next to an eye then an eye specialist will normally check the child regularly until they are adult. Eye problems: may develop if the port-wine stain is on the eyelid area.If 1 in 300 babies have a port-wine stain and 1 in 100 of these have something else wrong then you can see how rare these problems are: they only affect 1 in 30,000 babies. They will probably have a brain scan and a detailed eye check.ĭo they mean something else is wrong with the baby?Ībout 1 in 100 babies born with a port-wine stain on the face have problems of the eye or brain. This fades over about a year and is entirely harmless.īecause very rarely something could be wrong with the baby's brain or eyes, if a baby has a port-wine stain they are usually checked by a specialist doctor. A port-wine stain should not be confused with a 'salmon patch' or 'stork mark' (sometimes called a 'stork bite') that almost half of babies have, on the back of their neck in the midline.The diagnosis is made on the appearance of a newborn's skin.There is no particular test for a port-wine stain. How would a doctor diagnose a port-wine stain? A lot of people find it distressing to live with skin like this on their face and therefore request treatment. By middle age the overlying skin can become thickened and lumpy (a cobblestone-like appearance). The overlying skin is smooth and flat at first. They are not harmful, but if just left alone port-wine stains tend to darken over the years. Usually the redness is in a patch on the face, neck, scalp or upper chest.The result is that the skin looks red when it shouldn't. In port-wine stains the nerves that control the blood vessels don't work properly, so they are permanently dilated.Normally we have microscopic nerves that keep the blood vessels small (constricted) most of the time.They are formed because the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the skin are too big (dilated). Usually port-wine stains are present at birth.It is caused by abnormal development of tiny blood vessels. What causes a port-wine stain?Ī port-wine stain is also called a naevus flammeus or, more commonly, a firemark. Some people might have had them treated at a young age and the red colour has faded away, or they may be using camouflage products to cover them up. But you might not see too many people with them, because some patches might be small and barely noticeable. In rare cases it can develop in early childhood. Birthmarks are common, and about 1 in 300 newborns have a port-wine stain.
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