A visit to Children's Hospital

I would like to update everyone on Miss Ashley.  When she was born she a small spot on her upper left arm.  I had it examined thoroughly in Atlanta with a Vascular Surgeon conducting an MRI.  We were told that it was a hemangioma and would fade away with time.  Unfortunately it has not faded and actually is getting worse.  It usually appears darkened and becomes painful where Ashley is fighting a cold or illness.  So this last time she became ill I took her to the pediatrician and he says in his opinion is was misdiagnosed as a hemangioma.  He said that it is common to misdiagnose when they are little.  It is what he is believed to be an arteriovenous malformation (AVM).   He referred us for an Xray and ultrasound.  We had the ultrasound and Xray last week and now we have been referred to Children's Hospital in Washington D.C.  Tomorrow (Wednesday February 27th) Ashley and I will head into the city to have a consultation with a surgeon to discuss what our next step is.  Below is a quick definition from some of my research.

 

From the Seattle Childrens hospital website:

An AVM can be visible at birth, appearing as a stain that looks like a hemangioma.   Arteriovenous malformations are fast-flow vascular malformations with an abnormal connection between the arteries and veins.  The skin of the AVM feels warmer to the touch than skin in other areas. The mass is dark red.  Pulsing in the mass can be seen from the rapid shunting between arteries and veins.  The formation and exact cause of the lesion is unknown, though it seems to develop within the first trimester of pregnancy.  Untreated AVMs slowly progress over time. The lesions become larger, darker, warmer, more painful and pulse more.  Symptoms such as pain, swelling or bleeding may develop in early childhood, or the lesion may remain unchanged until puberty or even young adulthood.