Therapeutic management of skin hemangiomas in children

Hemangiomas are benign, self-involuting tumors of endothelial cells that are common in childhood.

To evaluate the treatment of 122 patients with skin hemangiomas treated at a teaching hospital in Brasilia, Brazil between March 2000 and December 2006.

Data were collected from the patients' medical records and questionnaires were applied to the children's parents. Variables analyzed were: gender, pre- and perinatal factors, clinical characteristics of the lesions, type of treatment and outcome.

A male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1 was found. In 42 patients, hemangiomas were superficial, while in 13 cases they were deep and in 67 patients lesions were mixed. In 7 patients, the lesions were associated with syndromes. In 79 patients, hemangiomas were in the cephalic region. Of the 122 patients, 98 were submitted to one single treatment, while 24 required multiple forms of treatment. In the first group, expectant management was the conduct in 38 patients, compression in 3 cases, systemic corticotherapy in 18 patients, intralesional corticotherapy in 13, topical steroids in 4 cases, conventional surgery in 12 patients, cryosurgery in 7, pulsed light in one case and imiquimod in 2 patients. In the second group of 24 patients submitted to multiple treatment modalities, 15 required two types of treatment and 9 needed three or more.

The data obtained in this study were in agreement with results in the literature with respect to gender and the site of the lesions. The incidence of hemangiomas present at birth was higher than rates published in the literature. The therapeutical results obtained were comparable with data from other published studies. Identification of hemangiomas that require treatment, as well as the right moment for intervention and the best therapeutic option for each case, are factors that need to be taken into consideration.