What is the expected outcome for a capillary hemangioma in infants?

Capillary hemangiomas, often referred to as "strawberry marks," are benign vascular tumors that commonly appear in infants. A significant characteristic of capillary hemangiomas is their tendency to undergo a natural course of regression. In most cases, these lesions start to fade within the first year of life and are generally resolved by the age of five to ten years without any medical intervention.

While some hemangiomas may appear to grow initially during the first few months of life, most will not require surgical intervention; they usually regress spontaneously. This self-resolution is a crucial point in managing these hemangiomas, as it alleviates concerns surrounding the need for aggressive treatment. Most children will not experience any long-term effects, including scarring, as the hemangiomas fade over time.

When considering the other options, surgical intervention is typically reserved for exceptional cases where the hemangioma poses significant functional or cosmetic concerns. Permanent scarring is also relatively uncommon as these lesions tend to resolve without leaving marks. Lastly, while a capillary hemangioma may experience initial growth, the expected outcome in the long term is resolution, not a continuing increase in size. Thus, the expected outcome for a capillary hemangioma in infants is that it will