Vascular malformation of upper lip and left eye: A case report with nomenclature review

The term "Hemangioma" though traditional yet until date is the most frequently misused terminology by many radiologists for reporting all variety of vascular anomalies. Mulliken in 1982 developed a thorough study and classification, based on the cellular kinetics of anomalous vessels, and includes two entities: Hemangioma/vascular tumor and Vascular malformations (VM). However, the continuous use of an older nomenclature causes confusion resulting in inaccurate diagnoses and hence potential mismanagement. The management of these abnormalities presents both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and they expand to include the preservation of both functional concerns and cosmetic appearance of the affected structures. Further the application of more advanced diagnostic techniques, all gives the precise localization of the source vessel allowing for making excision and reconstructive planning more accurate and satisfactory. Here we present a case of a 16-year-boy diagnosed with low flow VM affecting upper lip causing and left eye