[Use of interferon in a case of hepatic hemangioma].
Hepatic hemangioendothelioma can have a fatal outcome. After failure of classic therapies, and when surgery or arterial embolization are not possible, those benign tumours may benefit from interferon alpha treatment.


METHODS
We report a case of a 14-month-old infant who presented with hepatic hemangiomatosis and cardiac failure. The disease can neither be controlled by steroids nor by radiotherapy associated with digitalo-diuretic treatment. Due to the important vascular volume of the tumour, neither surgical care nor arterial embolization were possible. Thus this infant was treated for ten months by interferon alpha. The evolution was favourable: cardiac failure, calcifications and volume of the angiomatosis were regressive.


CONCLUSIONS
Interferon alpha treatment helps to control cardiac failure and the course of hepatic hemangioma in childhood.
Le Luyer
B
B
Département de pédiatrie, hôpital de l'Enfant, Le Havre, France.
Duquenoy
A
A
Poinsot
J
J
Boulloche
J
J
Gaussin
G
G
Le Roux
P
P
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006390:Hemangioendothelioma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha