birth mark

Our baby was born with a birthmark stretching between her upper lip and her nose.  It is dark red.  The MD briefly said he thought it might be a hemangioma or a port wine stain.  It is flat, not raised.  How do they diagnose which kind of birth mark it is.  It sounds like hemagiomas disappear but the port wine stains don't.  Your thoughts?

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

There are basically two types of hemangioma.  The proliferative type such as so-called strawberry hemangiomas actively enlarge and are typically raised above the surface of the skin.  These often regress after the child is two to three years of age.  The non-proliferative type such as port wine stains, are flat and grow proportionately with the child.  These can often be treated successfully with laser therapy.  A local plastic surgeon familiar with hemangiomas can diagnose your child and advise about treatment options.