Radboudumc Center of Expertise for Hemangiomas and congenital vascular anomalies Nijmegen (HECOVAN)

About the Radboudumc center of expertise

Hecovan is the center of expertise in hemangiomas and congenital vascular malformations. Hecovan stands for Hemangiomas and Congenital Vascular Malformations Nijmegen and is acknowledged as a center of expertise by the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport.

Hemangiomas

Hemangiomas, or strawberry spots, are benign tumors that consist of rapidly dividing cells that form extra blood vessels. Strawberry spots occur at the age of infancy and disappear before the age of 10, but often leave residual deviations.

Congenital vascular abnormalities

Congenital vascular malformations (vascular malformations) are flaws in the construction of vessels. Think of port-wine stains but also of errors in the weaving of veins, arteries and lymphatic vessels. Hemangiomas and vascular formations may cause pain, swelling, deformity, wounds, bleeding or other functional problems. This depends on where the deviation is located. Read more about vascular formations in Dutch.

Team of specialists

Within the Hecovan working group, we work with dermatologists, pediatric surgeons, plastic surgeons, interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons and oral surgeons to make the correct diagnosis and determine the best possible treatment. Where necessary, we call on the help of the neurologist, pediatrician, internist, ophthalmologist, ENT doctor or orthopedist. The Hecovan working group was set-up in 1991. As we have been following all national and international developments within our field for so long, we have extensive possibilities for research and treatment of hemangiomas and vascular abnormalities.

Disorders and treatments

We treat hemangiomas and congenital vascular abnormalities. For example, venous, lymphatic, arteriovenous, capillary and combined vascular abnormalities, and syndromic vascular abnormalities with additional problems such as Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome and Sturge-Weber syndrome.
 
The specialists of the Hecovan working group agree on the most appropriate treatment. Of course, you too have a say in this. Treatment can include medication, surgery, compression therapy (e.g. bandages or elastic bandages), injections or embolization (closing a blood vessel by administering a certain drug).