Enlarging congenital haemangioma in an adult--a new entity?

We report the case of a 39-year-old woman with a persistent congenital vascular lesion, which unusually is continuing to enlarge. Histologically, the lesion is a thin-walled haemangioma with numerous mast cells. Currently, the precise mechanism of vessel proliferation in such lesions is unknown, but it is important in the pathogenesis of both haemangiomas and other dermatological conditions, as well as in wound healing and the formation of tumour metastases. We discuss various angiogenic factors with particular reference to the putative role of the mast cell in the pathogenesis of haemangiomas.