Sociodemographic Characteristics of Pediatric Patients with Vascular Malformations

Vascular malformations are congenital anomalies present at birth but often become symptomatic with age. While much is known about patient characteristics and disparities of common diseases, less is known about pediatric patients with vascular malformations. The purpose of this study was to characterize sociodemographic factors of pediatric patients with vascular malformations and investigate whether differences exist in patient presentation {1-5}.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective cohort study including all 352 patients aged 18 years and under with vascular malformations who presented to a single vascular anomaly center from July 2019 to September 2022. Data was gathered regarding race, ethnicity, sex, age at presentation, insurance status, and residential information captured by rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes. Vascular malformations were categorized as arteriovenous malformation (AVM), capillary malformation (CM), venous malformation (VM), lymphatic malformation (LM), lymphedema, and overgrowth syndrome. The ANOVA test was used to compare age at presentation, and the C²-test was used to assess the difference in race, ethnicity, sex, RUCA code, and insurance status.

Results: Of 352 patients, 62.5% were white, 81.3% were not Hispanic or Latino, and 58.2% were female. 43.5% of patients had private health insurance. 59.4% of patients were from the most urban setting. The average age of symptom onset was 8.17years (95% CI: 7.56yrs to 8.78yrs). 25 patients had AVM, 5 had CM, 144 had VM, 112 had LM, 18 had lymphedema, and 48 had overgrowth syndrome. Patients presented later with VM than patients with LM (mean 9.75yrs vs. 6.66yrs; p=.00022) and overgrowth syndrome (mean 9.75yrs vs. 5.80yrs; p=.00042). There was no difference in race, ethnicity, sex, or insurance status.

Conclusion:

No difference was found in race, ethnicity, sex, and insurance status, but patients presented later with VM compared to LM and overgrowth syndrome. A later presentation for patients with VM may indicate a need for improved recognition of VM in pre-adolescent patients so that those needing early management may receive it properly.