Oral propranolol for the treatment of infantile haemangiomas in Singapore

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Infantile haemangiomas (IH) are the most common vascular tumours in childhood. Over the past decade, treatment of IH has been revolutionised by the discovery of the effectiveness of beta-blockers in its treatment. We review our hospital’s experience with oral propranolol in the treatment of IH in an Asian population. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of the medical records and clinical photos of paediatric patients with IH treated with propranolol in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Singapore from January 2010 to February 2015. RESULTS A total of 88 patients with IH treated with propranolol were identified over a five-year period, with 79 patients included in the final analysis. There was a predominance of female patients (75.9%) and preterm infants (41.8%) in our study population. The head and neck (65.8%), especially the orbital or preorbital region (45.6%), were the most common lesion sites in our cohort of patients. Mean age of onset was 2.3 ± 4.5 weeks of age, and mean age of starting propranolol treatment was 7.7 ± 10.5 weeks of age. 44.3% of patients experienced > 75% improvement, while 29.1% experienced improvement of 50%–75%. Response to treatment was influenced by the age of starting treatment. CONCLUSION Our study provides further evidence of the efficacy and safety of propranolol in the treatment of IH in an Asian population. Early treatment is recommended for optimal results.