Angioma

What is an angioma?

An angioma is a common, benign (i.e. non-cancerous), skin growth made up of blood vessels. The most common angioma is a cherry angioma, also known as a Campbell de Morgan spot.

What do angiomas look and feel like?

• Often multiple
• Most common in adults, with the number of angiomas increasing from about the age of 40
• Can develop on any body surface but are most common on the trunk
• Cherry angiomas are bright red, other angiomas can be blue and/or purple. Occasionally, and especially if traumatised, an angioma can turn black
• Raised; smooth to touch
• Usually less than 1 cm in diameter

What causes angiomas?

The cause is not known.

Make an appointment at your GP surgery

Most angiomas do NOT need treatment. The only reasons for contacting your GP surgery are:

• If an angioma catches and bleeds on a regular basis, in which case treatment may be offered
• If you develop a skin lesion that looks different to the others i.e. an ‘ugly duckling’

Treatment for angiomas

• Most do not need treatment
• Those that catch and bleed repeatedly may be treated by scraping off (curettage) using local anaesthetic
• Angiomas cannot be treated on the NHS for cosmetic reasons – if you choose to have them treated privately another option is laser

Helping with other skin conditions

If you, a family member, or friend have an undiagnosed skin condition; or you want to learn more about how to treat skin conditions, please view our short video on how to get the best from this website.