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Color Doppler Ultrasound Follow-Up of Infantile Hemangiomas and Peripheral Vascularity in Patients Treated with
Ana M Kutz1, Ligia Aranibar1, Nelson Lobos1
1Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clinico U. Chile, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Insights
Color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) showed propranolol significantly reduced infantile hemangioma (IH) volume by 51%. Peripheral blood vessels in IH patients were not significantly affected by this treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric vascular anomalies
- Medical imaging techniques
- Pharmacological treatments
Background:
- Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are common childhood vascular tumors.
- Clinical diagnosis is typical, but color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) aids in assessing lesion dimensions and treatment response.
- Limited research exists on sonographic evaluation of propranolol's effect on IHs, especially concerning simultaneous analysis of intralesional and peripheral vessels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the anatomic impact of propranolol on infantile hemangiomas (IHs) and peripheral blood vessels using color Doppler ultrasound (CDU).
- To quantify changes in IH size, thickness, and volume, as well as peripheral vessel dimensions, during propranolol therapy.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study involving 10 pediatric patients diagnosed with IH receiving systemic propranolol therapy.
- Baseline and 3-month follow-up color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) examinations were performed on both the hemangioma and the main peripheral vessels of the right upper extremity.
Main Results:
- A significant average reduction in IH volume of 51% was observed via CDU.
- Tumor dimensions showed marked decreases: longitudinal axis by 11%, transverse axis by 24%, and thickness by 30%.
- Intralesional vessel thickness decreased by 46%, while peripheral vessel thickness remained statistically unchanged.
Conclusions:
- Color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) provides a noninvasive method for quantifying treatment-induced changes in infantile hemangiomas (IHs) and associated peripheral vessels.
- Propranolol therapy led to a substantial reduction in IH volume.
- Peripheral vascularity was not significantly altered by propranolol treatment in this cohort.
Background:
Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common vascular tumors in childhood. Diagnosis of IHs is usually clinical, however, to determine the actual dimensions of the lesion or the anatomic changes that occur during its evolution and treatment, a color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) examination can be performed. To date, there are few publications that assess the sonographic response to propranolol in IHs, and to our knowledge, none that consider simultaneous evaluation of both intralesional and normal peripheral blood vessels in these cases.
Objective:
Evaluation of the anatomic effect of propranolol in IHs and peripheral blood vessels using CDU.
Methods:
A cohort study was performed in 10 pediatric patients with a diagnosis of IH in whom systemic therapy with propranolol was indicated. The patients underwent a baseline and 3-month follow-up CDUs of the tumor and the main peripheral vessels of the right upper extremity.
Results:
The group was composed of 7 (70%) girls and 3 (30%) boys. The average CDU decrease in size of the longitudinal axis was 11%; of the transverse axis, 24%; tumor thickness, 30%; and intralesional vessel thickness, 46%. Hemangioma volume measured by CDU decreased an average of 51%. The thickness of the peripheral vessels did not change significantly between the baseline and 3-month follow-up CDUs.
Conclusion:
CDU permits noninvasive quantification of the changes in IHs and peripheral vessels in patients receiving propranolol therapy. In our cohort of cases there was a significant reduction in tumor volume; however, peripheral vascularity was not significantly affected.
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