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Vascular anomalies care

Pediatric specialists at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital deliver advanced care for even the most complex and rare vascular anomalies.

Vascular malformation specialist looking at child’s birthmark at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indiana, Indianapolis.

Vascular anomalies care at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital

Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis brings together a highly experienced multispecialty team to deliver care for children with vascular anomalies. We diagnose, treat and manage rare and complex vascular anomalies, including vascular tumors, benign tumors and malformations. Your child’s care team may include pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric plastic surgeons, interventional radiologists, pediatric hematologists and oncologists, general surgeons, plastic surgeons, pediatric otolaryngologists, genetic counselors, medical geneticists, and physical therapists.

Comprehensive care that’s right for your child and family

The vascular anomalies care team at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital provides:

  • Close collaboration between your child’s team of specialists
  • Advanced diagnostic technology and the latest treatment options
  • Individualized and comprehensive treatment plans
  • Specialists who participate in the latest research

Diagnosing vascular anomalies in infants and children

Your child’s first appointment starts with a conversation. Your child’s specialist may recommend tests or imaging, such as genetic tests, ultrasound, MRI and in some cases, a biopsy (tissue sampling). Then, a diagnosis is made. We take the time to explain your child’s diagnosis and answer your questions.

We diagnose and treat all types of vascular malformations and vascular tumors. These are often called birthmarks but include:

  • Arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
  • Capillary malformations
  • Complex CLOVES (congenital lipomatous overgrowth, vascular malformations, epidermal nevus and spinal abnormalities)
  • Hemangiomas
  • Infantile and congenital hemangiomas
  • Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE)
  • Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome
  • Lymphatic malformation
  • PHACE (posterior fossa anomalies, hemangioma, arterial anomalies, cardiac anomalies and eye anomalies) syndrome
  • Moyamoya syndrome
  • Sturge-Weber syndrome
  • Venous malformations
  • Other vascular anomalies

Advanced treatment for vascular anomalies

At Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, your child’s specialists collaborate to create a highly coordinated care plan for your child. Each type of vascular anomaly is treated with a personalized approach. Some conditions require immediate care, while others start with observation first and may be managed over time.

Treatment options may include:

  • Catheter-directed procedures by interventional radiology (IR) (for example, embolization or sclerotherapy)
  • Steroids
  • Surgical excision
  • Systemic therapy such as beta blockers (for example, propranolol or Hemangeol®) and immune modulation (for example, sirolimus or alpelisib)
  • Topical therapy such as beta blockers (for example, timolol) and immune modulation (for example, sirolimus)
  • Compression

    If your child has vascular malformations that affect their arms or legs, compression therapy may be part of their care plan. With this type of therapy, compression garments or wraps are used to decrease swelling caused by a buildup of fluid.

  • Medication

    Your doctors and interventional radiologists use many different types of medications to treat vascular malformations. These include topical medications, injected medications, anticoagulants (blood thinners), therapies based upon genetic mutations and more.

  • Sclerotherapy

    Interventional radiologists use sclerotherapy to treat and manage malformations. During sclerotherapy, medication is injected into the abnormal vessels to decrease their size.

  • Surgery

    For some vascular malformations, surgery may be recommended. At Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, you have a multispecialty team of surgeons, including plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons, otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat doctors), and more. Together, the team delivers advanced surgical care for children with complex vascular malformations.

Vascular anomalies care