Comparison of Infantile Hemangiomas in Male and Female Infants: A Prospective Study
Kaizhi Zhang1, Tong Qiu1, Jiangyuan Zhou1
1Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatric Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Insights
This study found sex differences in infantile hemangioma (IH). Males had more superficial and localized IH, while females experienced more segmental IH, ulcers, and rebound after propranolol treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Vascular Anomalies
Background:
- Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a common vascular tumor in infants.
- While IH is more prevalent in females, sex-based clinical characteristic differences remain under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical characteristics of infantile hemangioma between female and male patients.
- To identify sex-specific patterns in IH presentation and treatment response.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study including 1016 patients with infantile hemangioma.
- Data collected on patient sex, IH type (superficial, localized, segmental), ulceration, and response to propranolol.
- Statistical analysis to compare characteristics between male and female cohorts.
Main Results:
- Male patients showed a higher incidence of superficial (73.97% vs. 68.62%) and localized IH (90.48% vs. 81.60%).
- Female patients were more likely to have segmental IH (11.41% vs. 5.08%) and develop ulcers in superficial IH (4.78% vs. 1.72%).
- IH rebound after propranolol treatment was more frequent in females (11.86% vs. 5.15%).
Conclusions:
- Significant sex-based differences in infantile hemangioma clinical characteristics were identified.
- Males are more prone to superficial and localized IH, whereas females exhibit a higher risk for segmental IH, ulceration, and post-treatment rebound.
Abstract:
Infantile hemangioma (IH) predominantly occurs in females, yet few studies have compared the clinical characteristics of IH between girls and boys. This study compared the clinical characteristics of females and males with IH. This prospective study included 1016 patients with IHs for whom complete clinical data were available. A total of 701 female and 315 male patients with IH were enrolled in this study. Male patients presented a high incidence of superficial IH (73.97% in boys vs. 68.62% in girls, p = 0.084) and localized IH (90.48% in boys vs. 81.60% in girls, p < 0.001), whereas female patients were more likely to have segmental IH (11.41% in girls vs. 5.08% in boys, p = 0.001). The incidence of IH rebound after oral propranolol was somewhat more likely to occur in females than in males (11.86% vs. 5.15%, p = 0.063). For superficial IH, ulcers developed in 4.78% of female patients compared with 1.72% of male patients (p = 0.044). In this prospective study, we identified new sex differences in the clinical characteristics of IH. Localized and superficial IHs were more common in males. Females were more prone to developing ulcers in superficial IHs and experiencing IH rebound after treatment with propranolol. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03331744.
