What is "angiomatosis"

n. (context medicine English) A rare genetic non-neoplastic condition presenting with little knots of capillary in various organs.

Angiomatosis is a non-neoplastic condition presenting with little knots of capillaries in various organs. It consists of many angiomas. It is associated with Von Hippel-Lindau Disease and is a rare genetic multi system disorder characterized by the abnormal growth of tumours in the body. Symptoms may include headaches, problems with balance and walking, dizziness, weakness of the limbs, vision problems and high blood pressure. Prognosis depends on the size and location of the tumour, untreated angiomatosis may lead to blindness and/ or permanent brain damage. Death may occur, with complications in the kidney or brain.

These tend to be cavernous hemangiomas, which are sharply defined, sponge-like tumors composed of large, dilated, cavernous vascular spaces.

They often appear in:

• Von Hippel-Lindau disease
• Bacillary angiomatosis
• Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome
• Sturge-Weber syndrome