The W.O. Frohring Family Resource Center

Part of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, this center has a resource library with information on parenting, breastfeeding, sibling relationships and much more. Materials may be borrowed for a limited time within the hospital, and copying services are available.

Patients who have recently given birth at MacDonald Women’s Hospital find the library to be an excellent source on topics relating to newborns and their parents. The Frohring Family Resource Center supports a caring and effective partnership between families and their healthcare team by providing general assistance on baby care and health-related issues. You can learn more about the Center on the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital website. Community residents are also welcome to visit or call the center for information.

Health Encyclopedia

Pyogenic granuloma

Pyogenic granuloma - close-up
Pyogenic granuloma - close-up
Pyogenic granuloma on the hand
Pyogenic granuloma on the hand

Definition

  

Pyogenic granulomas are small, reddish bumps on the skin that bleed easily due to an abnormally high number of blood vessels.


Alternative Names

  

Lobular capillary hemangioma


Causes, incidence, and risk factors

  

The exact cause of pyogenic granulomas is unknown, but they frequently appear following injury. They often occur on the hands and arms or face.

Because these lesions bleed easily, they can be quite annoying. Pyogenic granulomas are common in children.


Symptoms

  
  • Small red vascular lump that bleeds easily
  • Often occur at site of recent injury
  • Seen most frequently on hands, arms, and face, but are often found in the mouths of pregnant women

Signs and tests

  

Your health care provider can usually diagnose this condition by simply performing a physical exam. However, a skin biopsy may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.


Treatment

  

Small pyogenic granulomas may go away suddenly. Larger lesions are treated with surgery, electrocautery, freezing, or lasers.


Support Groups

  


Expectations (prognosis)

  

Most pyogenic granulomas can be removed, but scarring may appear after treatment. There is a good chance that the condition will return if the entire granuloma is not destroyed during treatment.


Complications

  
  • Bleeding from the lesion
  • Reappearance of treated lesions

Calling your health care provider

  

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have a skin lesion that bleeds easily or that changes appearance.


Prevention

  


 
Review Date: 10/28/2008
Reviewd By: Michael Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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