Selected interventional procedures for pediatric head and neck vascular lesions

Although vascular malformations are commonly seen in children, they are lesions managed best by an experienced multidisciplinary team. Recognizing, investigating, and diagnosing the type of vascular malformation is critical to determining treatment modality and pathway. Generic identification-despite Mulligan's excellent classification-or confusing vascular malformations with hemangiomas are both inappropriate because treatment is quite different for these separate groups of diseases. Additionally, an understanding of the recognition and classification of vascular malformations is essential for effective family counseling and management of these childhood lesions.