Angiofibroma

Serving Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Grimsby and surrounding areas

Angiofibromas:

Usually develop on the nose, and occasionally elsewhere on the face
Appear as a smooth somewhat clear pink-flesh coloured 1 mm to 3 mm “bumps”
Are a collection of small blood vessels, scar-like tissue and fibroblasts (cells which make collagen or scar tissue)
Often become raised, get gradually larger with time, and may sometimes bleed
Angiofibromas do not disappear spontaneously
Develop for no known reason. They are not warts and are not contagious
Are not cancers
Will never develop into skin cancer
In rare circumstances multiple angiofibromas (more than 10) along with other skin lesions may be a sign of a syndrome known as Tuberous Sclerosis
- Tuberous sclerosis is associated with other skin findings including brown spots, white spots, lesions are fingernails and toenails
- Please show your doctor if you have any other spots on your skin

Treatment:

The skin next to the angiofibroma is injected with a local anesthetic to numb the area
The angiofibroma is removed and the base treated with a medication so that it does not bleed
Stitches are usually not necessary
The removal is not painful
After the procedure you may bathe normally
For 2 weeks after the procedure, apply a small amount of antibiotic, and change the bandage daily
After an angiofibroma has been removed a crust or scab will form
This will heal and leave a pink mark that will gradually fade
After the removal, there may be a residual white mark
There is a small chance that the angiofibroma could grow back
There is no cream at this time that will remove angiofibromas and there is no way to prevent them from developing
Removal of benign (non-cancerous) lesions such as angiofibromas is not covered by OHIP or private health insurance

What if you are interested to learn more?

For your convenience, the services above are available in my office.

If you would like to learn more: