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Shouldn't Propranolol Be Used to Treat All Haemangiomas?
Sean T Moodley1, Donald A Hudson2, Saleigh Adams3
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, H53 R69, Old Main Building, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa. dr.seanmoodley@gmail.com.
Insights
Oral propranolol effectively treats infantile haemangiomas, showing significant size reduction with no adverse effects. This study supports propranolol as a safe and effective first-line therapy for these common childhood tumors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Dermatology
- Vascular Anomalies
Background:
- Infantile haemangioma is the most common pediatric tumor, often causing functional and cosmetic issues.
- Oral propranolol is emerging as a preferred first-line treatment for problematic infantile haemangiomas.
- This study evaluates oral propranolol's efficacy for all infantile haemangiomas at a tertiary children's hospital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness and safety of oral propranolol for treating infantile haemangiomas.
- To document changes in haemangioma size and identify any adverse effects.
- To assess the role of propranolol as a first-line therapy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 15 children (3 boys, 12 girls) with infantile haemangioma.
- Pre-treatment ultrasound, oral propranolol (2 mg/kg/day), and repeat imaging at 16-24 weeks.
- Documentation of adverse effects; intralesional bleomycin used as second-line treatment for non-responders.
Main Results:
- Average lesion size reduction of 48.87% observed.
- No significant side effects reported with propranolol therapy.
- Ulcerated haemangiomas and large/problematic cases showed positive response, with bleomycin aiding involution.
Conclusions:
- Oral propranolol is a safe and effective first-line treatment for infantile haemangiomas.
- Propranolol demonstrates significant efficacy in reducing haemangioma size during the proliferative phase.
- The study supports the use of propranolol as the primary treatment choice for all infantile haemangiomas.
Introduction:
Infantile haemangioma is the most common childhood tumour. These tumours can cause significant functional and cosmetic problems. While there are many treatment modalities, propranolol is increasingly being recognised as the first-line treatment of problematic haemangiomas. This study investigates the use of oral propranolol for the treatment of all haemangiomas at a tertiary children's hospital.
Method:
This is a retrospective study evaluating 15 children (3 boys and 12 girls) presenting at a tertiary children's hospital with infantile haemangioma during a 24-month period. The protocol consisted of pre-treatment ultrasonic evaluation of the lesion, followed by the commencement of propranolol therapy (2 mg/kg orally in two divided doses), with repeat imaging performed at 16-24 weeks in order to document the dimensional changes. Adverse effects of propranolol were documented. Intralesional bleomycin was utilised as a second-line modality of treatment for large or problematic haemangiomas with inadequate regression in size after oral propranolol therapy.
Result:
Fifteen (15) patients with a mean age of 7 months (Range: 3-14 months) presented with haemangiomas. Ten patients presented with lesions affecting the head and neck region (67%). Three patients presented with an ulcerated haemangioma, which responded to propranolol and simple dressings and all healed completely. The average decrease in size between the ultrasonography procedures was 48.87%. Only one patient showed no improvement. No side effects were reported. Concomitant bleomycin treatment was reserved for large problematic haemangiomas and proved successful at speeding up the involution process.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that propranolol become the first-line treatment of choice for all haemangiomas. It has proven to be effective and safe for reducing the size of all haemangiomas during the proliferative phase.
Level Of Evidence Iv:
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
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