Vascular and Lymphatic Malformations: Perspectives From Human and Vertebrate Studies

Vascular malformations, affecting ≈1% to 1.5% of the population, comprise a spectrum of developmental patterning defects of capillaries, arteries, veins, and/or lymphatics. The majority of vascular malformations occur sporadically; however, inherited malformations exist as a part of complex congenital diseases. The malformations, ranging from birthmarks to life-threatening conditions, are present at birth, but may reveal signs and symptoms-including pain, bleeding, disfigurement, and functional defects of vital organs-in infancy, childhood, or adulthood. Vascular malformations often exhibit recurrent patterns at affected sites due to the lack of curative treatments. This review series provides a state-of-the-art assessment of vascular malformation research at basic, clinical, genetic, and translational levels.