Prospective study of infantile hemangiomas: clinical characteristics predicting complications and treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Infantile hemangiomas are the most common tumor of infancy. Risk factors for complications and need for treatment have not been studied previously in a large prospective study. This study aims to identify clinical characteristics associated with complications and the need for therapeutic intervention.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective cohort study at 7 US pediatric dermatology clinics with a consecutive sample of 1058 children, aged < or = 12 years, with infantile hemangiomas enrolled between September 2002 and October 2003. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on each patient and each hemangioma, including clinical characteristics, complications, and treatment.


RESULTS
Twenty-four percent of patients experienced complications related to their hemangioma(s), and 38% of our patients received some form of treatment during the study period. Hemangiomas that had complications and required treatment were larger and more likely to be located on the face. Segmental hemangiomas were 11 times more likely to experience complications and 8 times more likely to receive treatment than localized hemangiomas, even when controlled for size.


CONCLUSIONS
Large size, facial location, and/or segmental morphology are the most important predictors of poor short-term outcomes as measured by complication and treatment rates.
Haggstrom
Anita N
AN
Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Drolet
Beth A
BA
Baselga
Eulalia
E
Chamlin
Sarah L
SL
Garzon
Maria C
MC
Horii
Kimberly A
KA
Lucky
Anne W
AW
Mancini
Anthony J
AJ
Metry
Denise W
DW
Newell
Brandon
B
Nopper
Amy J
AJ
Frieden
Ilona J
IJ
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*