Cutaneous Vascular Anomalies – Nevus Flammeus

Nevus Flammeus is a very common cutaneous vascular anomaly that I routinely encounter in both my The Woodlands dermatology and Conroe dermatology offices.  Also called a port wine stain or a “stork bite,”  Nevus Flammeus clinically appears as a pink/red patch on the posterior neck that occurs at birth.  It is present in 5% of the population and is composed of capillaries.  It can also be found on the forehead in some patients.  Usually, a Nevus Flammeus remains flat but it can occasionally become warty and elevated above the skin.  In some patients, a Nevus Flammeus may appear on the face in the area over the eye innervated by V1 branch of the trigeminal nerve and the Sturge-Weber Syndrome may manifest in which these patients develop epilepsy, mental retardation, hemiplegia, and ocular defects.  Treatment of Nevus Flammeus can usually be accomplished with a pulse dye laser.