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Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2005;7:286.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 148 words of the full text and any section headings.

The topic of vascular birthmarks, which includes hemangiomas and various malformations, is rapidly gaining attention across disciplines. Surgeons, dermatologists, interventional radiologists, and pediatricians all have vested interests in the more than 400 000 patients born with a vascular lesion every year in the United States alone. This attention is evidenced by the articles and authors in this issue discussing topics from basic science to clinical technique. The gap between the perpetuated beliefs about these lesions ("Leave it alone; it will go away") and the current state of our knowledge and experience is very wide. By disseminating the various viewpoints in this issue we hope to slowly help bridge that gap. Our patients will continue to benefit from the advances in management espoused by the authors until a consensus about treatment is eventually reached.

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Correspondence: Dr Hochman, The Facial Surgery Center, PO Box 80789, Charleston, SC 29416 (hochman@facialsurgerycenter.com).

Marcelo Hochman, MD