Abstract
Vascular malformations (VM) are becoming more frequent but they are still inaccurately
identified in everyday practice. Some clinical aspects of the VM have been known since
ancient times but until recently only case reports have appeared in the literature,
describing various vascular and bone syndromes, sometimes bearing the names of the
authors (Klippel-Trenaunay, Parks-Weber, etc.), but without profound scientific investigation
or presentation of reasonable curative methods. After the first VM pathology analysis
and treatment, published by E. Malan, very few followed him. The most important name
among them is no doubt Stefan Belov from Bulgaria. His profound and systematic investigation
of more than 1000 patients gave him the possibility to understand the complex nature
of VM, to see the common link the VM pathology and to create the universal and practical
classification named the “Hamburg Classification.” His four unfamiliar operative techniques
and some new pathophysiological phenomena have been presented in detail.
