As you grow older, the appearance of any abnormal-looking growths on the surface of the skin can be worrisome. Many people age 40 and older develop small red or purple dots and bumps on the skin. These growths are called cherry angiomas. If you have cherry angiomas, you need not fear for your health. While they can be unsightly, cherry angiomas do not require medical treatment.
Identification
A cherry angioma is simply a cluster of enlarged capillaries. Capillaries are the smallest type of blood vessel in your body. Most cherry angiomas are roughly the size of a pin head, though they have been known to grow to one-fourth of an inch or larger. As of November 2010, the cause of cherry angiomas is unknown. They most commonly appear on people age 40 and over and the majority of people age 70 and older develop them, according to HealthScout.com. While they most frequently appear on the torso, cherry angiomas can develop on any part of the body.
Significance
The most important thing to know about cherry angiomas is that they aren't dangerous. Barry L. Hainer, MD and Richard B. Usatine, MD write in "American Family Physician" that cherry angiomas "have no malignant potential." The medical harmlessness of cherry angiomas explains the apparent lack of research efforts to determine what causes them.
Treatment
The fact that cherry angiomas are not a precancerous condition may be cold comfort to you if you have developed a large one on a visible area of the body. However, cherry angiomas are treatable through cosmetic surgery procedures, with the possible treatment options being electrosurgery, cryotherapy and laser vaporization. Cherry angiomas are comprised of blood vessel clusters, so you may bleed heavily if you try to remove one yourself.
Electrosurgery
According to Doctors Hainer and Usatine, electrosurgery is the best procedure to remove a cherry angioma. A metal instrument or a needle is used to apply an electrical current to the angioma. The electrical current causes coagulation and stops the bleeding. This procedure is free of serious complications, though scarring is a possibility when a large cherry angioma is removed.
Cryotherapy and Laser Vaporization
Cryotherapy involves freezing a skin lesion through the application of liquid nitrogen. Cryotherapy is relatively inexpensive and there are no dangerous complications, though you may experience some tingling and pain. Also, blistering may develop at the treated area, according to the New Zealand Dermatological Society. Laser vaporization involves the use of a highly concentrated light beam to destroy abnormal cells. Laser vaporization is most commonly used to treat conditions, such as genital warts and endometriosis.
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