Abstract
Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are common benign vascular tumors seen in children. Although
the majority will improve spontaneously without treatment, a small subset will require
therapy due to a variety of complications. Less than a decade ago, propranolol replaced
corticosteroids as first-line treatment for most IH and it has proven to be a relatively
safe, effective therapy. After initiation of propranolol, most hemangiomas show evidence
of significant improvement relatively rapidly, often within days. Although propranolol
is generally felt to have a more limited side-effect profile than systemic corticosteroids,
its use has been infrequently associated with adverse events, including sleep disturbances,
acrocyanosis, hypotension, bradycardia, respiratory events, and hypoglycemia. Rarely,
hypoglycemic seizures have been reported, usually occurring in the setting of prolonged
fasting.
Keywords
infantile hemangiomas - pediatric tumors - β-blocker - propranolol - timolol