Originally Posted by mrsD

I had a cavernous hemangioma on the instep of my left foot ..I was born with it.

It didn't "grow" except for keeping up with my growing during childhood. My parents had it removed because it used to bleed from shoe frictions (tying and straps aggravated it).

It had tendrils going down into the tendons and was horrible to work on.

I believe that the reason that doctors do not remove them, is that they BLEED terribly and are a risk for hemorrhage and perhaps damage to the spine. They are hard to get all of out too, but with lasers today it might be better, in that regard. In all the years I've read health boards, no one has come on to say the doctor recommended removing these.

Also I don't think they "grow" like other tumors do. They are static. They grew with you and stopped when you stopped.

It is important to know they are present however, should you need a procedure in that location...so the doctor does not strike one doing anesthetic or epidurals. You can bleed into the spinal cord and even die that way. I know a woman who had a neck procedure and the doctor didn't know a hemangioma was there and she almost was paralyzed from the hemorrhage of it. She was left with lifelong severe chronic pain, and ended up getting a spinal cord stimulator.

I've often wondered if I have more of these things, myself, since I had the one. I still suffer from the side effects of having that removed, as the nerves grew back my foot and I have a painful scar there now. Took a long time to grow those nerves back and now they are painful!