Venous varicosities also can involve intraabdominal and intrapelvic organs. These include bone, spinal and intracranial locations. Since in no series of patients have these abnormalities been looked for in a systematic fashion the incidence of lymphatic abnormalities is unknown. However in our experience exudation of lymph is less common. It frequently is unclear if the edema of an affected dependent extremity is a result of venous insufficiency, abnormal lymphatic drainage or a combination of the two.
Some patients do develop soft tissue masses that are reminiscent of cystic hygromas.
Most commonly there is a port wine stain which can be very light in color to deep maroon. This lesion can be flat or elevated. The integrity of the skin over the hemangioma may be excellent or poor. In some cases the capillary hemangioma is raised considerably from the surface and may be verrucous in nature. Some areas of the malformation may be prone to skin breakdown, bleeding, and infection.