[Early surgical treatment of cutaneous hemangiomas]

Infantile hemangioma appears after the birth as a vascular tumor, which is known for its characteristic evolution in 3 phases: rapid augmentation then stabilization and involution on several years with in the best cases, classical "restitutio ad integrum". Usual surgical attitude is abstention and surgery is proposed only in order to treat sequel. But some particular situations require early surgery for life-threatening lesions or in case of functional impairment. Surgery consists in these cases in a simple volumetric diminution of the tumor with no aim for esthetic improvement. Other kinds of hemangiomas require an early surgical treatment before their complete involution. In some particular locations, deformation or growth delay can occur due to the lesion's development. In some cases, hemangiomas present a delayed involution with minor regression capacity; these are mainly located on the median part of the face and have principally a subcutaneous development. Early surgery can be proposed in order to avoid definitive deformation or growth impairment of adjacent structures. It should be performed before school age and before occurrence of psychological difficulties. Surgery is indicated in a perspective of esthetic improvement. Surgical procedure consists first in modeling excision followed by simple repair technique as linear suture or purse string closure; complex surgical procedures inducing their own sequels are usually inappropriate.