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WHEN THE TREATMENT IS NECESSARY
IN HAEMANGIOMAS?
Cortisone was used at different doses in case of haemangiomas in the past. Long
treatment and high doses of this drug have many potential side effects in early chil-
dhood especially under one month of age. Early treatment was unnecessary except
functional defects such as vision, nutrition, breathing, hearing, infection problems
(especially perineal ones with gaita and urine exposure), liver and cardiac insufficien-
cy and very huge ones causing severe cosmetic problem caused by haemangioma.
Early treatment is usually necessary in 20%. Because of the treatment efficacy, easy
control of simple side effects and no severe and permanent side effect of this drug,
we now treat haemangiomas earlier. In very small ones lower than a few centimeters,
without swelling from the skin surface, an ointment with activity like propranolol is
used to try to stop growth of the lesion. It is partly successful in some patients.
When the patient was 5 days-old, there was redness in the forehead and upper part of her right eye-
brow. When she was one month-old, the lesion was more prominent and become swollen. When she was
brought to us, she was unable to open her eye for the last ten days. No bleeding or infection occurred.
The response to treatment was interesting. She was one of our first patients treated with this drug so we had
the chance to follow up this dramatic result of the patient very closely. The photographs of both early and
late results in 3 months and 3 years were given respectively. This is important for us because it is one of the
longest followed patient.
Case Story
H. D.
Birth Date : 20.10.2010
Admission Date: 21.12.2010
Age at Diagnosis: 2 months
City
: Şanlıurfa
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