[Color Doppler sonography of superficial capillary hemangiomas].
OBJECTIVE
Retrospective analysis of the morphologic and hemodynamic characteristics of hemangiomas in infants provided by color Doppler sonography.


METHODS
94 hemangiomas were studied in 87 children separated into four classes of age (0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, > 12 months). Eleven were followed with several examinations. Echogenicity, compared to normal subcutaneous tissues, and degree of vascularization were assessed qualitatively. Resistive index (RI) was measured in 78 cases.


RESULTS
All lesions presented as vascularized solid masses: 63% were hypoechoic, 16% hyperechoic and 21% mixed. All hypoechoic and mixed lesions showed higher vascularity than hyperechoic ones. Hyperechoic hemanigomas were more frequent in the fourth class of age. Mean resistive index was significantly higher in the first (0.61 +/- 0.14) and the fourth (0.6 +/- 0.14) classes of age than in the second (0.51 +/- 0.12) (p = 0.01 and < 0.03, respectively), and higher in the hyperechoic group (0.7 +/- 0.13) than in the hypoechoic group (0.53 +/- 0.11), (p < 0.01). Seven of 11 cases moved from hypoechoic to hyperechoic or mixed. Increase of resistive index with age was noted in 9/11 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Superficial hemangiomas have typical but variable gray-scale, spectral and color flow sonographic patterns. These fluctuations are probably related to phases of evolution.
Bakhach
S
S
Services de Radiologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pellegrin, 33076 Bordeaux.
Grenier
N
N
Berge
J
J
Léauté-Labrèze
C
C
Chateil
J F
JF
Douws
C
C
Vergnes
P
P
Taïeb
A
A
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018324:Hemangioma, Capillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012535:Scalp / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013997:Time Factors; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color