[What's new about infantile hemangiomas?]
I Dreyfus1, A Maza, J Mazereeuw-Hautier
1Service de dermatologie, centre de référence des maladies rares de la peau, hôpital Larrey, CHU de Toulouse, 24, chemin de Pouvourville, TSA 30030, 31059 Toulouse cedex 9, France. dreyfus.i@chu-toulouse.fr
Summary
Infantile hemangiomas are common childhood vascular tumors. Systemic propranolol therapy, discovered in 2008, is now the preferred first-line treatment due to its favorable risk-benefit profile.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Dermatology
- Vascular Biology
Context:
- Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most frequent pediatric vascular tumor.
- IH presents in early infancy, undergoes rapid growth, and then slow spontaneous involution.
- While benign, IH can lead to life-threatening complications, functional impairment, pain, disfigurement, and psychological distress.
Purpose:
- To review the current understanding and management of infantile hemangiomas.
- To highlight the pivotal role of propranolol in IH treatment.
- To discuss the implementation and significance of the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) for propranolol in France.
Summary:
- Systemic propranolol therapy has emerged as the leading treatment for infantile hemangiomas since its discovery in 2008.
- Propranolol offers a favorable benefit-risk balance, largely replacing older corticosteroid therapies.
- The French Compassionate Use Program (CUP) has established systemic propranolol as the first-line approach for most French prescribers.
Impact:
- Systemic propranolol has significantly improved treatment outcomes for infantile hemangiomas.
- The widespread adoption of propranolol therapy minimizes risks associated with untreated or inadequately treated IH.
- This therapeutic shift offers better management of complications and reduces long-term sequelae in affected children.
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