Campbell de Morgan stitches should not be removed at home. Medical professionals can remove them using cryotherapy, electrosurgery, or a vascular laser. These harmless skin papules, also known as cherry angiomas, can be bothersome if they rub against clothing. Cryotherapy is the most common method, while pulsed dye laser is the least invasive but most expensive.
Simply put, you don’t remove Campbell de Morgan stitches on your own. The removal of these harmless skin papules is best left to medical professionals who have the skills and equipment to do the job. If they’re bothersome, doctors can remove them using cryotherapy, electrosurgery, or a vascular laser.
Campbell de Morgan spots, also known as cherry angiomas, hemangiomas, and senile angiomas, can develop anywhere on the body, but most often occur on the torso. Caused by the proliferation of small dilated blood vessels, these red spots usually start to appear after age 40 and become more common as you age. While they pose no threat to your health, if they’re where your underwear or clothing rubs against them, they can become irritated. If not, they’re considered a cosmetic nuisance and insurance generally doesn’t cover the cost of their removal.
Cryotherapy is probably the most widely used method of removing these spots. It consists of freezing the spots with liquid nitrogen applied with a cotton swab or a targeted spray device. Frozen spots blister, scab, and fall off within days of treatment. No other treatment is needed unless an infection develops, which is unlikely. Mild skin discolorations may remain after the lesions heal, but they usually fade over time.
Your doctor may choose curettage and electrodessication, a form of electrosurgery, to remove the spots. This procedure involves cutting or scraping away affected tissue with a sharp instrument called a curette while sealing adjacent blood vessels with an electric needle. Your doctor will cushion the area before starting, so there should be little to no pain. Some doctors prescribe topical antibiotic creams as a follow-up, but additional treatment is usually not needed. Scarring is minimal when a skilled professional does the job.
The newest method of removing Campbell de Morgan spots is the pulsed dye laser (PDL), which is a special laser used to treat skin conditions caused by or involving blood vessels. Suitable for all skin types, PDL is safe and effective. It is relatively painless and usually requires nothing more than a topical anesthetic cream applied before the procedure, which will only take a few minutes. Laser surgery is the least invasive option for removing these stitches, but it’s the most expensive.
The number of PDL treatments required depends on the size of the spot to be treated. Small hemangiomas may only require one or two treatments. Small bruises are common in the treated area but usually disappear within a week or two. Any residual discoloration fades over time.
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