The primary treatment for the subset of infantile hemangiomas (IHs) which develops complication is pharmacological intervention, and propranolol has become a popular choice. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of propranolol in a clinical cohort of IHs and analyzed clinical characteristics associated with a good outcome.
We retrospectively reviewed a total of 52 IHs patients, between ages 1 and 48 months (median age: 7.5 months), who were treated with oral propranolol, with dose ranging from 2 to 3 mg/kg/day. Efficacy was evaluated using mean percentage reduction, visual analog scale (VAS), and parental satisfaction levels at week 2 and months 1, 2, 6, and 12. The adverse effects were noted and responses after 6 months were graded. Statistical analyses of the outcome were also performed for the responses with regard to age at propranolol initiation, site of lesion, and mean duration of treatment.
A therapeutic response with at least 50% mean percentage reduction in size was noted in 84.6% at the end of 6 months. VAS score and parental satisfaction levels correlated well with mean percentage reduction (63.7 ± 15.6) at 6 months. Patients aged <6 months and those with cephalic lesions exhibited a greater therapeutic response rate with shorter overall mean duration of the treatment.