Labial Vascular Diseases

Malformative lesions of vascular origin should be considered among the neoplasms of the facial soft tissues. These comprise a very heterogeneous group that can be classified into tumors and vascular malformations. Vascular malformations are characterized by a structural defect of blood vessels that have a physiological turnover of endothelial cells resulting from a malformation during development. They can, in turn, be sporadic or associated with genetic mutations. They are classically divided into low or high-flow vascular malformations. The former have no arterial component and are classified according to their predominant endothelial cell type as capillary, venous, lymphatic or combined. The latter has an arterial component and includes arterial malformations, arteriovenous malformations, arteriovenous capillary malformations and arteriovenous fistulas. Vascular tumors include benign and malignant neoplasms of endothelial cellular origin. Among the most common vascular tumors, hemangioma stands out. Pyogenic granuloma (lobular capillary hemangioma) is the most commonly diagnosed subtype of benign endothelial neoplasia in the oral cavity. Furthermore, most oral pyogenic granulomas are considered reactive rather than neoplastic proliferations. Among the malignant ones, much rarer, Kaposi's sarcoma and angiosarcoma emerge.