[Current treatment of infantile hemangiomas: an overview of the literature].

Hemangiomas are the most common neoplasm of infancy and childhood, about 40% to 60% of them involve the head and neck region. In recent years, many studies had been carried out on the natural course of hemangiomas, an algorithm for intervention versus observation was proposed, and effective safe treatment plan is devised. Close observation is indictable for hemangiomas which are remaining stable in size or in the involutive phase or post- involutive phase. For large hemangiomas, multiple hemangiomas, life-threatening hemangiomas and problematic hemangiomas with complications such as ulceration, infection, bleeding, dysfunction, etc, systematic drug therapy (Cortico steroids, interferon alpha-2a or 2b ) should be considered. Growing hemangioma can be treated effectively by systematic drug therapy, sclerotherapy, laser therapy or combined therapy. Topical application of imiquimoid and intratumoral injection of steroids or pinyangmycin can be used in selected patients with rapidly growing hemangioma. Surgery is no longer the first choice of treatment for hemangiomas, which is only reserved for correction of large residuals postinvolution.