Cherry Angioma: What Those Little Red Dots on Your Skin Really Are

You noticed a tiny, bright red dot on your chest or arm that wasn't there before, and now you're wondering if it's something serious. The good news first: in the vast majority of cases, that little ruby-colored bump is a cherry angioma, one of the most common and completely harmless skin growths in adults.

Cherry angiomas are benign clusters of small blood vessels. They are not cancer, they don't turn into cancer, and most people simply have more of them as they get older. Here's exactly what they are, why they show up, and the few situations where it's worth getting one checked.

What is a cherry angioma?

A cherry angioma is a small, bright red to ruby-colored bump made up of a tight cluster of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the upper layer of skin. Doctors also call them cherry hemangiomas, senile angiomas, or Campbell de Morgan spots. They are the single most common benign vascular growth in adults.

Under the surface, a cherry angioma is a true capillary growth: newly formed, narrow blood vessels packed together in a lobular pattern in the papillary dermis. That density of blood vessels is what gives them their distinctive red color. Most are dome-shaped and smooth, though some can look slightly raised or even flat.

• Color: bright red, ruby, or cherry-red, sometimes with a pale halo around the edge
• Size: typically 1 to 5 mm (about the size of a pinhead to a small pea)
• Shape: round, dome-shaped, and well-defined
• Location: most often on the trunk (chest, back, abdomen) and upper arms; only rarely on the hands, feet, or face
• Number: often multiple, appearing gradually over time

What causes cherry angiomas?

The honest answer is that the exact cause is unknown. What we do know is that they become much more common with age. Their numbers increase markedly from around age 40, and an estimated 75% of people over age 75 have them. That age link is why they were historically called "senile angiomas."

Age isn't the whole story, though. About 5% of adolescents have been found to have cherry angiomas, so they are not exclusively a sign of getting older. Genetics likely play a role: researchers have found that cherry angiomas frequently carry specific somatic mutations in genes called GNAQ and GNA11. These are changes in the skin cells themselves, not inherited DNA you pass to your children. They are not caused by anything you did wrong, by poor hygiene, or by your skincare routine.

Are cherry angiomas dangerous or a sign of cancer?

No. Cherry angiomas have no malignant potential. They are entirely benign and are not a sign of skin cancer. This is the reassurance most people are really searching for, so it's worth stating plainly.

The one nuance: because they are red and raised, cherry angiomas can occasionally be confused with other growths, including moles or, rarely, a type of skin cancer called nodular melanoma. A typical cherry angioma looks consistent and uniform. Anything that looks unusual, is growing, or changes color deserves a professional eye. When there's doubt, a dermatologist may remove or examine a lesion specifically to rule out melanoma, which is a sensible precaution rather than a cause for alarm.

How are cherry angiomas removed?

Cherry angiomas do not need to be removed for medical reasons. Treatment is purely optional and is usually done for one of two reasons: cosmetic preference, or a lesion that sits somewhere it keeps getting bumped, scratched, or shaved and bleeds repeatedly.

If you do choose removal, a clinician can use one of several quick in-office methods. Each works by destroying or removing the cluster of blood vessels:

• Electrodesiccation (electrocautery): an electric current seals off and destroys the vessels
• Cryotherapy: freezing the lesion with liquid nitrogen
• Vascular or pulsed-dye laser: targeted light that collapses the blood vessels
• Shave excision: shaving the bump flush with the skin for larger lesions

When should you see a doctor?

Most cherry angiomas need nothing more than reassurance. But a few signs are worth getting checked, mainly to confirm the bump is what you think it is and to rule out other conditions.

Contact a healthcare provider if a red bump shows any of the following:

• It bleeds on its own, with no bump, scratch, or contact to explain it
• Bleeding that does not stop after 15 minutes of firm, direct pressure (this needs prompt medical attention)
• Any change in shape, size, or color over time
• A new lesion that looks different from your other red spots, or that you're simply unsure about