Letters to the Editor

I recently commenced work in an Oral Medicine department at a Dental Hospital and it has struck me just how common vascular lesions, in particular haemangioma referrals, are. I would like, therefore, to provide a short review of the intra-oral haemangioma.

A haemangioma is a benign, vascular malformation which is usually a small isolated developmental abnormality.¹ They are normally flat lesions which are described as red, red/blue or blue and can occur anywhere within the oral cavity. They are more common on the tongue and lips and, while they are usually asymptomatic, they can bleed with trauma.

Potential differential diagnoses (but not exhaustive) include: varicosity; amalgam tattoo; mucocele; naevi; telangiectasia; melanotic macule; haematoma; eruption cyst; Kaposi sarcoma; and salivary gland tumour. A useful diagnostic tool is the placement of a glass slide to compress a haemangioma; it will blanch and lose its colour.²