title: Infantile haemangiomas and quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the quality of life (QOL) and self-esteem of children with infantile haemangiomas using objective measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one children, 5-8 years old, with a diagnosis of head or neck haemangioma measuring 2 cm or more, were compared with 22 children with no history of haemangioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tertiary medical centre in the north of Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic and clinical details were collected, followed by two questionnaires-Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and Harter pictorial scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for young children-answered by children and parents of the two groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  QOL and self-esteem of the children in the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in QOL indices or self-perception scores between children with and without haemangioma (86.6±10.3 vs 80.1±15.07, p=0.23 and 3.62±0.2 vs 3.72±0.21, p=0.17, respectively). Interestingly, parents of children with haemangioma reported higher QOL of their children than parents of children without haemangioma (86.4±9.6 vs 77.1±14.9, p<0.03). Likewise, a positive correlation between parents' scored PedsQL and children's scored PedsQL was found (0.56, p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings raise a question about aggressive as opposed to more conservative treatment, especially in the era of propranolol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ha'emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cohen-Barak
authors.forename: Dganit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rozenman
authors.forename: Ayelet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shani Adir
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms; D006391:Hemangioma; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Clinical Procedures; Dermatology; Psychology