Surgical treatment of cavernous hemangioma.

Congenital cavernous hemangioma of the lower extremity is a form of congenital angioplastic dysplasia involving the venous trunks and capillaries. Although elastic support offers good symptomatic control, surgical removal of large, abnormal, superficial veins and ligation of incompetent perforators may be of definite additional benefit in carefully selected cases. Also, surgical excision of thrombosed veins, eroding cutaneous veins, and localized cavernous hemangiomas will lessen the chronic disability caused by this venous anomaly. But before any surgical treatment is undertaken, it must be determined that the deep venous system is adequate.