Eur J Pediatr Surg 2010; 20(6): 414-415
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1254163
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© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effectiveness of Propranolol in a Newborn with Liver Hemangiomatosis

L. Meyer1 , H. Graffstaedt2 , H. Giest2 , J. Truebenbach3 , M. Waner4
  • 1St. Joseph Hospital, Pediatric Surgery, Berlin, Germany
  • 2Center for Vascular Malformations in Children (ZVM) in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, St. Joseph Hospital Berlin, Germany
  • 3Center for Diagnostic Radiology & Minimally Invasive Therapy, St. Joseph Hospital Berlin, Germany
  • 4Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York, St. Luke's / Roosevelt Hospital Center,Otorhinolaryngology, New York City, United States
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
13 July 2010 (online)

Introduction

Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are common in newborns (about 3%), with a higher incidence in low birth weight infants [1]. Disseminated forms with several hemangiomas (more than 5) in one individual are much rarer. They are classified as purely cutaneous hemangiomatosis, combined cutaneous and visceral hemangiomatosis or purely visceral hemangiomatosis. Segmental hemangiomas may also show associated visceral involvement [2]. Cutaneous forms are generally benign and regress spontaneously. Cases of visceral involvement with many liver arteriovenous fistulas may cause high output cardiac failure with life-threatening consequences. To treat progressive congestive heart failure, many therapies have been introduced: hepatic artery ligation (first report in 1967) [3] [4] [5], radiation therapy [6], partial liver resection [7], special compression sutures for affected liver tissue [8], arterial hepatic embolization [9], urgent liver transplantation [10] and various medical treatments with prednisone, interferon alpha 2a [11], cyclophosphamide [12] [13] [14] and vincristine [15]. In June 2008, 2 French groups from Montpellier and Bordeaux presented their first compelling results on the treatment of IH with a non-selective beta-blocker at the 17th International Workshop of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) in Boston [16]. We subsequently began to treat infants with IH in 2008 with encouraging results. In 2009 we introduced propranolol to treat a patient with liver hemangiomatosis.

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Correspondence

Lutz MeyerMD 

St. Joseph Hospital

Pediatric Surgery

Wuesthoffstraße 15

12101 Berlin

Germany

Phone: +49 30 7882 2127

Fax: +49 30 7882 2696

Email: lutz.meyer@sjk.de