The Vascular Anomalies Clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital is the only program in the region providing
coordinated, multidisciplinary care for patients with vascular anomalies (blood vessels that have developed abnormally). Approximately one in 10 children are born with a vascular anomaly, which is commonly referred to as a birthmark. About half of all children who have vascular anomalies require treatment. Le Bonheur's Vascular Anomalies Clinic provides all aspects of care for vascular anomalies, including medical, surgical and minimally-invasive interventional radiology treatments with sclerotherapy.
There are two categories of vascular anomalies—vascular tumors and vascular malformations. The most common benign vascular tumor is the infantile hemangioma. Vascular malformations are capillary malformations, venous malformations, lymphatic malformations, arteriovenous malformations and combinations of the above.
Clinic Coordinator Lindsey O’Neal, BSN, RN, CPN, assists with scheduling all aspects of patient care
before, during and after clinic appointments, including diagnostic lab and radiologic testing, consults with
other specialists and interventional and surgical procedures. In addition, she coordinates arrangements
for FedExFamilyHouse lodging, a home away from home for out-of-town families with children receiving
treatment at Le Bonheur. To contact her, call 901-287-6447.
Treatment Options
- Medication
- Interventional therapy including sclerotherapy—injection of sclerosant (An injectable irritant used in the treatment of varicose veins that causes inflammation and subsequent fibrosis) medications directly into the lesion under ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance. This is meant to reduce the size of the lesion and therefore reduce symptoms of pain, disfigurement or dysfunction of the region.
- Surgery, often requires sclerotherapy prior to surgery.
Because vascular anomalies are unique to each child, we create customized multidisciplinary teams based on each child’s needs. Our doctors meet monthly at a case conference to discuss each child’s plan of care and determine next steps. Specialists include:
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Pediatric surgery
- Neuroendovascular surgery
- Ophthalmology
- Otolaryngology (ENT)
- Plastic surgery
- Radiology
During your clinic visit, we will coordinate all radiology imaging, lab testing and specialist visits so that your child receives all of the necessary care at one time.
Your clinic visit might include:
- Radiology Imaging
- Bedside ultrasound (USG)
- Lab testing and biopsies
- Consultation with multiple specialists
arteriovenous malformation/fistulas (AVM/F)
capillary malformation
congenital and infantile hemangiomas
cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita (CMTC)
cystic hygroma
kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE)
Kasabach Merritt phenomenon
Klippel Trenaunay syndrome
lymphatic malformation
mixed vascular malformation
multifocal lymphangioendotheliomatosis (MLT)
Parkes Weber syndrome
port wine stain
Sturge Weber syndrome
tufted angioma
vascular malformation
venolymphatic malformation
venous malformation
Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus syndrome
Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome
CLOVE syndrome
Maffucci syndrome
Proteus syndrome
