[Primary clinical application of high-intensity focused ultrasound on infant hemangiomas]

To explore the effectiveness and appropriate energy parameters of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in treating infant hemangiomas.

Between January 2009 and September 2010, 60 infants with hemangioma were treated. There were 23 boys and 37 girls, aged from 3 to 30 months with an average of 10 months. These hemangiomas were located at head and face (24 cases), trunk (15 cases), limb (16 cases), buttocks (2 cases), perineum (1 case), and multiple lesions (cervix, abdomen, and upper limbs, 2 cases). The size of hemangiomas ranged from 0.8 cm x 0.6 cm to 6.0 cm x 5.0 cm. The 60 infants were randomly divided into 3 groups: groups A, B, and C (n = 20) based on different ultrasound energies used in treatment. The lesion surface was irradiated with 3-5 mm/second for 5 continuously by ultrasonic therapeutic apparatus at a frequency of 9 MHz, impulse of 1 000, and 10% of scanning overlap; the powers of 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 W were used in groups A, B, and C, respectively, 3 times as a course of treatment with 1 month interval. The effect and ulcer and scar risk in irradiation region were observed after 6 months of treatment.

All cases were treated for one course. After 6 months of treatment, no significant difference in the effect was found among 3 groups based on hemangioma treatment judging criterion (P > 0.05). Neither ulcer nor scar occurred in group A; ulcer occurred in 4 cases (20%) of group B with superficial scars, and in 7 cases (35%) of group C with obvious scars. The rates of ulcer and scar in groups B and C were significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05).

HIFU irradiating is one of effective methods for treating infant hemangioma, but the appropriate energy was below 3.5 W.