MedGen

A rare genetic capillary malformation characterized by dark red to purple birthmarks which manifest as flat, sharply circumscribed cutaneous lesions, typically situated in the head and neck region, in various members of a single family. The lesions grow proportionally with the individual, change in color and often thicken with age. There is evidence that congenital capillary malformations can be caused by somatic mosaic mutation in the GNAQ gene on chromosome 9q21. [from SNOMEDCT_US]

Sturge-Weber syndrome is characterized by an intracranial vascular anomaly, leptomeningeal angiomatosis, most often involving the occipital and posterior parietal lobes. The most common symptoms and signs are facial cutaneous vascular malformations (port-wine stains), seizures, and glaucoma. Stasis results in ischemia underlying the leptomeningeal angiomatosis, leading to calcification and laminar cortical necrosis. The clinical course is highly variable and some children experience intractable seizures, mental retardation, and recurrent stroke-like episodes (review by Thomas-Sohl et al., 2004). [from OMIM]