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Case Reports
. 2012 May;1(2):14-6.
doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2012.1.2.004.

Propranolol for infantile hemangiomas

Moise L Levy  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Propranolol for infantile hemangiomas

Moise L Levy. Glob Adv Health Med. 2012 May.

Abstract
in English, Chinese, Spanish

Hemangiomas are common vascular birthmarks that usually present a predictable pattern of proliferation and ultimate involution. Most do not require any treatment. When intervention is clinically indicated, medical and surgical options exist. Historically, corticosteroids have been used and have been shown to slow or stop the growth of a majority of hemangiomas; however, growth concerns and infectious complications have complicated their use. In 2008, a letter to the editor in The New England Journal of Medicine described another serendipitous observation of the effect of the nonselective beta-blocker, propranolol, on hemangiomas in 9 cases. This finding has been expanded by the authors of this original observation as well as others.

血管瘤是常见的血管胎记，通常 以一种可预测的模式进行增殖和 最终退化。大多数血管瘤都无需 任何治疗。当干预治疗得到临床 证明时，即可选择进行医药和手 术治疗。从历史观点上来说，糖 皮质激素已被用于并已被证实能 够，减缓或停止大多数血管瘤的 生长；但随之出现的生长问题和 感染性并发症使该类药物的使用 变得更加复杂。在 2008 年，刊登 在《新英格兰医学期刊》(The New England Journal of Medicine) 上 的一封致编者信介绍了研究人员 在九个病例中就非选择性 β 受体 阻滞剂普萘洛尔治疗血管瘤的疗 效所偶然观察到的另一项结果。 这一发现由上述最初观察结果及 其他结果的作者予以阐述。

Los hemangiomas son marcas de nacimiento comunes de origen vascular que acostumbran a seguir un patrón predecible de proliferación y, en última instancia, involución. La mayoría no requiere tratamiento y, en los casos en que se aconseja realizar una intervención por motivos clínicos, existen opciones médicas y quirúrgicas. Históricamente, se ha demostrado que el uso de corticosteroides reduce o detiene el crecimiento de la mayoría de los hemangiomas; sin embargo, las complicaciones infecciosas y las preocupaciones en torno al crecimiento han complicado su uso. En el año 2008, una carta dirigida al editor publicada en The New England Journal of Medicine describía otra observación fortuita advertida en nueve casos sobre el efecto del betabloqueante no selectivo propranolol en los hemangiomas. Se han efectuado trabajos de ampliación de este hallazgo por parte de los responsables de esta observación original, entre otros.

Keywords: Hemangioma; PHACE; arterial; beta; blocker; cardiac; corticosteroids; eye anomalies; posterior fossa malformation; propranolol; segmental; timolol; vascular birthmarks.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Videos showing patient prior to and during treatment with propranolol. Reprinted with permission from AngelPHACE.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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