Diseases

Port-Wine Stain

A vascular malformation of developmental origin characterized pathologically by ectasia of superficial dermal capillaries, and clinically by persistent macular erythema. In the past, port wine stains have frequently been termed capillary hemangiomas, which they are not; unfortunately this confusing practice persists: HEMANGIOMA, CAPILLARY is neoplastic, a port-wine stain is non-neoplastic. Port-wine stains vary in color from fairly pale pink to deep red or purple and in size from a few millimeters to many centimeters in diameter. The face is the most frequently affected site and they are most often unilateral. (From Rook et al., Textbook of Dermatology, 5th ed, p483)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A vascular malformation of developmental origin characterized pathologically by ectasia of superficial dermal capillaries, and clinically by persistent macular erythema. In the past, port wine stains have frequently been termed capillary hemangiomas, which they are not; unfortunately this confusing practice persists: HEMANGIOMA, CAPILLARY is neoplastic, a port-wine stain is non-neoplastic. Port-wine stains vary in color from fairly pale pink to deep red or purple and in size from a few millimeters to many centimeters in diameter. The face is the most frequently affected site and they are most often unilateral. (From Rook et al., Textbook of Dermatology, 5th ed, p483)

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

5 entry terms
  • Nevus Flammeus
  • Port Wine Stain
  • Port-Wine Stains
  • Stain, Port-Wine
  • Stains, Port-Wine

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

34 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

distinguish from HEMANGIOMA, CAPILLARY

MeSH Record

History Note

97

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. C16w.131w.831.675w
  2. C17.800w.804.675w

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Port-Wine Stain. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D019339. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D019339
  2. Port-Wine Stain. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port-wine_stain
  3. Port-Wine Stain. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1409611