Infantile Hemangiomas of the Lip: Complications and Need for Surgical Intervention

Infantile lip hemangiomas are challenging to manage due to the functional and aesthetic importance of the lips. Hemangiomas in this region may lead to significant complications including ulceration, feeding difficulties, and lip contour distortion requiring surgical intervention.

A retrospective chart review of children with focal lip hemangiomas treated at our institution between January 2000 and December 2016 was conducted. Patient demographics, lesion characteristics, complications, treatments, and outcomes were collected. Lesions were classified based on depth (superficial, deep, or mixed depth), vermillion border involvement, and location.

One hundred and two patients with focal lip hemangiomas were identified; 45.1% were managed expectantly, 43.1% were treated medically, and 18.6% required surgery. Residual lip contour deformity following involution was the most common complication (26.5% of patients). Ulceration during the proliferation phase was reported in 14.7% of patients, leading to significant feeding difficulties in 9.8% of patients. All ulcerations occurred in lesions with a superficial component. None of the patients with superficial lesions underwent surgery; 27.1% of patients with deep or mixed depth hemangiomas required surgical treatment to restore lip contour.

Lip hemangiomas have high rates of complications that seem to be related to lesion morphology and phase of growth. Ulceration occurs during the early proliferative phase and is most frequently associated with mixed depth hemangiomas. Residual lip contour deformities are identified in the involution phase; presence of a deep component is the primary factor in predicting the need for surgical intervention in these patients.