Differential diagnosis difficulties related to infantile hemangioma - case report and literature review

Infantile hemangioma is a benign vascular tumor that is often present in the cephalic region and can grow rapidly in size, causing serious complications. The hemangioma with oro-maxillofacial sphere localization may often pose differential diagnosis problems, requiring additional investigations. We present the case of a 3-month-old baby who was brought to the Emergency Room for acute respiratory failure and dysphagia caused by the rapid increase in size of a soft palate and lateral pharyngeal wall tumor. The clinical examination revealed a "wine stain" hemangioma in the inter-eyebrow and frontal areas, a hemangioma in the right genial area, 1∕1.5 cm in diameter, growing rather in depth than on the surface, and a purplish-blue tumoral mass with irregular edges, grown in the soft palate and in the right lateral wall of the pharynx, which impaired both eating and breathing. Obstructive phenomena have been aggravated by an acute respiratory infection. Due to the inconsistencies between different medical specialties about the nature of the tumor and the suspicion of malignancy, in order to establish the correct diagnosis and therapeutic management, urgent tumor biopsy was required. After starting oral treatment with Propranolol, the evolution was favorable. Infantile hemangiomas may sometimes be hard to diagnose, requiring additional imaging examinations, and sometimes-pathological examination. Since it may affect a vital function, or the patient's esthetic appearance, or if the tumor has ulcerated, bleeds or got infected, the certain diagnosis and the onset of treatment should be done as soon as possible.