Lymphangioma of the skin: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Lymphangioma of the skin is a benign tumor from the lymphatic vessels. Lymphangioma exists from birth or develops in childhood.

Symptoms of lymphangiomas of the skin. Lymphangiomas can be secondary as a result of impaired lymph circulation. There are three types of lymphangiomas: capillary (simple), cystic and cavernous. Are located on any site of a skin and mucous membranes, more often on a neck, in an oral cavity, on the upper extremities. Capillary lymphangiomas are characterized by the presence of small vesicles, often multiple, filled with a transparent liquid, arranged grouped. Lymphangiomas can have a purple color due to the impurity of blood.

With capillary (simple) lymphangioma, a spot appears first, which then turns into a dense plaque with a bluish tint that rises above the skin level.

Cystic lymphangioma is characterized by the appearance on the restricted area (more often - the face, neck, axillary cavities) of grouped vesicle-like elements. Elements are transparent or translucent and are located on a hydropic, compacted background.

With cavernous lymphangioma, large multiple tumors appear on a swollen, dense base. The skin above the nodes has a normal color or becomes bluish-brown. In the background of cavernous and cystic lymphangiomas, papillomatosis, hyperkeratosis, can develop.

Histopathology of the lymphangioma of the skin. In all forms of lymphangioma, lymphatic vessels of the surface and deep sections of the dermis, development of fibrous tissue, epidermis - acanthosis, papillomatosis.

Pathomorphology of skin lymphangioma. In the upper part of the dermis there are cystic-dilated lymphatic vessels lined with a single layer of endotheliocytes. Sometimes, besides lymph, they contain a little red blood cells. The thickness of the epidermis is not the same, it usually thins over the cysts. In other areas there may be acanthosis with uneven epidermal outgrowths and papillomatosis. Some sharply widened vessels appear to be included in the epidermis. Expansion of lymphatic vessels can be observed up to the middle part of the dermis, but not lower. In cystic lymphangioma, hyperkeratosis and papillomatosis are more pronounced, enlarging the lumen of the lymph vessels spreads into the subcutaneous tissue, where it is often possible to see enlarged large-caliber lymphatic vessels with hypertrophied muscular walls. With a cavernous form in the deep sections of the dermis and in the subcutaneous adipose tissue, wide, irregularly shaped slits often form containing red blood cells. In the area of the lips and tongue, the lymphatic spaces are located between the muscle bundles, pushing them apart, as a result of which the tissue has a spongy appearance.

Differential diagnosis. Lymphangiomas differentiate from limited scleroderma, congenital elephantiasis.

Treatment of lymphangiomas of the skin. Surgical removal of the tumor is performed.

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