Hemangioma rubi no couro cabeludo * Cherry hemangioma in the scalp *

Summary: Cherry hemangioma (CH) is an extremely frequent dermatosis with vascularorigin involving more than 75% of the population over 70 years of age. Normally they aremultiplex spots and focus predominantly on the upper trunk and arms. Clinically they arecharacterized by pinpoint maculae and papules with up to 5 millimeters in diameter. Themost recent lesions can be a strong red color while the older ones are bluish. The etiology ofCH is still unknown. From the histologic standpoint, the neoformation of the capillary tubedraws attention: they are very dilated and with fenestration along the wall. The basementmembranes are thickened and there is abundant collagen stroma between the veins. Thiswork demonstrates the high frequency of CH in the scalp. In a sample of 171 patients (85men and 86 women) the author noted that 123 (72%) had CH in the scalp. However, accor-ding to the literature, CH in the scalp has never been described.Key-words: scalp; hemangioma. Pereira 83 An bras Dermatol, Rio de Janeiro, 79(1):83-89, jan./fev. 2004.