Propranolol was effective in treating cutaneous infantile haemangiomas in Thai children.

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of propranolol in treating infantile haemangiomas, the most common benign vascular tumours in children.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective chart review of infantile haemangioma patients admitted to the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, from January 2009 to January 2015.

RESULTS

There were 53 infantile haemangioma cases treated with oral propranolol. Treatment responses occurred as early as two weeks after propranolol administration in 91.5% of the follow-up patients, with all 53 cases achieving the desired treatment responses two months after propranolol was initiated. No significant differences in treatment responses were found between propranolol as a mono-therapy or as a combination therapy with prednisolone at the two-week (p value 0.13) and one-month follow-ups (p value 0.98). Complications were documented in three cases (5.6%) when the propranolol dose was increased, and these were asymptomatic hypoglycaemia in two cases and one case of hypotension.

CONCLUSION

Propranolol was effective in treating infantile haemangiomas, and combining it with prednisolone achieved no significant differences in treatment outcome. Cases should be monitored for hypoglycaemia and hypotension. More data on using propranolol for infantile haemangiomas are needed, including long-term follow-up studies.