Intralesional injection of diprospan is effective for infantile hemangioma

The use of glucocorticoid in infantile hemangioma has remained the main stream for over 30 years. Intralesional corticosteroids got good effects in small-size hemangioma. Here, we introduce a new compound glucocorticoids preparation, Diprospan. Diprospan 1 mL/ampoule contains betamethasone disodium phosphate 2 mg and betamethasone dipropionate 5 mg. It is the combination of short-acting and long-acting components.

From January 2005 to December 2013, 57 children with hemangioma were enrolled into this study. The area of tumor ranged from 1 cm to 60 cm. The average age of them receiving the first treatment was 3.9 months. The compound betamethasone preparation was given directly into the lesion at multiple sites along the edge and in the center of tumor. The dosage ranged from 3.5 mg to 14 mg glucocorticoids. In the follow-up, the treatment could be repeated if the tumor tended to grow again.

Nineteen patients received the treatment once, 35 patients twice, and 3 patients thrice. At the end of follow-up, 80.7% (46/57) of the patients' tumors involuted completely. Moreover, 15.8% (9/57) of the patients' tumors shrank but did not involute completely. Also, 3.5% (2/57) of the patients' tumors showed no obvious change and so switched to systemic propranolol treatment. The adverse effects included local atrophy in 3 patients, local ulcer in 2 patients, and Cushing-like manifestations in 2 patients, all of which recovered in a short period.

Intralesional compound betamethasone preparation is a feasible choice for the small-size hemangioma. For a few of the patients who had no response to it, other treatments including oral propranolol should be adopted in time.