What are those little red spots that suddenly appear on my body? Can they turn into cancer?

I believe many people have had this experience - without realizing it, they find something growing on their skin. Anything with color or protrusions will cause worry. For example, if a mole suddenly grows, they worry about cancer; if white spots suddenly appear on the skin, they worry about vitiligo; if a pimple suddenly grows, they worry about an infectious disease...

Another phenomenon worth mentioning is the growth of red moles on the skin , which are scattered small red dots, as shown in the picture below.

Typical red mole Image source: Reference

What is the problem here?

In simple terms, this is most likely a cherry angioma, or senile hemangioma. Wait, a young person with a red mole is actually a senile hemangioma?

Don't worry, things may not be what you think.

Although red moles are hemangiomas

But it won't turn into cancer

When it comes to "hemangioma", people will inevitably worry: Is it a tumor? Will it turn into cancer? Is it life-threatening?

Don’t make too many associations. In fact, hemangiomas such as red moles are not something to scare people.

Hemangiomas are actually very common, and there are many types of them, almost all of which are benign.

For example, approximately 4% to 10% of infants and young children have a problem called "infantile hemangioma," which will heal without treatment as they grow older.

As for red moles, they are not uncommon, and become more common as people age. They usually appear in their 30s (although 5% to 7% of teenagers also have them), and 75% of people over 75 have this problem.

The reason why a red mole is a hemangioma is because it has local dilation and proliferation of capillaries (note, it is not vascular cancer).

Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of the word "tumor". In medicine, "tumor" may refer to the benign proliferation of tissue structure, which may not be related to cancer. The red mole here is such a case.

Why do young people have

Senile hemangioma?

Why are red moles also called senile hemangiomas? After all, many people with red moles are young people. In fact, this is the limitation of medical names.

In the past, professionals found that this type of red mole is more common among the elderly, and their number often increases with age, so they were "casually" called senile hemangioma.

This descriptive name actually summarizes the characteristics of the disease to a certain extent, but it is not rigorous enough. There are many similar situations. For example, the "age spots" (seborrheic keratosis) we often talk about are not exclusive to the elderly. Young and middle-aged people can also have age spots.

So, don’t worry too much about their names, as this name is just a misnomer.

What kind of "mole" is a red mole?

Red moles are actually relatively easy to identify. The basic feature is that they are small round particles, mostly between 1 mm and 5 mm. Because they are the proliferation of blood vessels, they are generally red, occasionally purple, and sometimes a little blue. Because of this, it has another name, called "cherry hemangioma".

As for the number, there are usually multiple lesions, scattered all over the skin. The most common sites are the arms and trunk, and rarely the hands, feet, and face.

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Below we have sorted out the main characteristics of red moles through a table:

Why do red moles appear?

Do you need to worry about health issues?

I believe everyone is also curious about the cause of red moles and whether it is a big problem.

There are two common causes of this disease, so there is no need to worry:

One is aging. This is unavoidable, and it can be understood that red moles may be a manifestation of the aging process;

Another reason is pregnancy. This is because during pregnancy, there will be fluctuations in hormones such as prolactin, which can cause red moles on the skin through complex mechanisms. For this type of red mole, there is hope that it will naturally shrink or even disappear after delivery.

In addition, there are some less common reasons, summarized as follows:

· Gene mutation: Research suggests that some people develop red moles because of gene mutations (such as the GNAQ gene and the GNA11 gene). However, ordinary people do not need to undergo genetic testing because of red moles.

Diabetes: Diabetic patients are at a greater risk of developing red moles than ordinary people, and the red moles they develop may also be larger. If you have the "three mores and one less" symptoms of diabetes, you can seek evaluation from an endocrinologist.

· Special medications: A very small number of people who use cyclosporine, nitrogen mustard or other chemotherapy drugs may also be more likely to develop red moles.

· Infections: Certain viral infections (e.g. human herpesvirus-8) may cause red moles in the setting of immunosuppression.

In general, most people don’t need to worry too much after getting red moles, especially when the size and number of the moles are relatively stable and they don’t feel they have any other health problems.

If you are unsure, or if the number of red moles increases significantly within a short period of time, or if there are other changes (enlargement, ulceration, bleeding, etc.), or if you are in an immunosuppressed state due to illness or treatment (such as the use of immunosuppressive drugs), it is recommended that you seek medical evaluation.

I have a red mole. Do I need treatment?

As for the treatment of red moles, the first thing to consider is not how to treat it, but whether to treat it.

This is because red moles are very common, do not hurt or itch, are not contagious, do not become cancerous, and do not affect health. Therefore, from a doctor's point of view, they do not need to be treated. Without treatment, red moles generally will not continue to grow, and most of them are only a few millimeters.

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If you want treatment, you can. It is generally suitable for the following groups of people: those who care about appearance, after all, some red moles will grow on exposed parts such as arms and necks, which are a bit conspicuous; those who are very worried that the red moles will change, and do not want the red moles to accompany them forever.

In terms of treatment, dermatologists have many methods, but almost all of them are destructive treatments, such as various phototherapy (laser, intense pulsed light), liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, and electrosurgery. These methods are all performed by doctors, the cost is not high, and the effect is immediate.

However, there are two things you should know before treatment:

First, the treatment will have more or less side effects, such as pain, temporary swelling, scabs, pigmentation or pigment reduction, and there may also be permanent side effects, that is, scars left behind;

Second, treatment cannot prevent recurrence. All treatments can only remove existing red moles.

Summarize

First of all, red moles on the skin of young people are actually not a big problem and are common. Although it is called "senile hemangioma", it has no other meaning. It's just that the name is not accurate enough.

In addition, in essence, red moles are a benign vascular proliferation that will not turn into cancer, so there is no need to worry too much. The formation of red moles may be related to aging, pregnancy, gene mutation, diabetes, special medications or infection.

Finally, in most cases, red moles do not require treatment unless they are cosmetically invasive or have personal concerns. If treatment is sought, it is recommended that you go directly to a dermatologist, who can use a variety of methods such as phototherapy, liquid nitrogen freezing, or electrosurgery, but be aware that these treatments may have side effects and do not prevent recurrence.

References

[1] Cherry angioma. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22786-cherry-angioma

[2] Cherry angioma. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/cherry-angioma

[3] Cherry hemangioma. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563207/

[4] Pastor-Tomás N, Bañuls J, Nagore E. Clinical relevance of cherry angiomas. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2023; 114(3): 240-246.

[5] Betz-Stablein B, Koh U, Edwards HA, et al. Anatomic distribution of cherry angiomas in the general population. Dermatology. 2022; 238(1): 18-26.

[6] Qadeer HA, Singal A, Patel BC. Cherry hemangioma. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024.

[7] Buslach N, Foulad DP, Saedi N, et al. Treatment modalities for cherry angiomas: A systematic review. Dermatol Surg. 2020; 46(12): 1691-1697.

Planning and production

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital

Planning丨Fu Sijia

Editor: Fu Sijia

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin

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