Factors associated with the relapse of infantile haemangiomas in children treated with oral propranolol.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although propranolol has become the first-line therapy for infantile haemangiomas (IHs), no study has yet investigated factors associated with the risk of relapse in children with IH treated with propranolol after cessation of treatment. OBJECTIVES: To compare factors associated with the risk of relapse in children with IH treated with oral propranolol. METHODS: We conducted a single-centre retrospective observational study. All files and photographs of patients with IH aged 5 months or less at the time of treatment initiation, and who were seen between 1 June 2008 and 31 December 2011 at the National Reference Center for rare skin diseases of Bordeaux, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: In total 158 children were included, of whom 118 had not relapsed and 40 had relapsed. Fifty-two patients were boys and 106 were girls (male female ratio 1 2), and 19 had a segmental IH (12%). When conducting multivariate analysis, only IHs with a deep component and those with segmental distribution were independently associated with relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that segmental IHs, as well as haemangiomas with a deeper component, are more at risk of relapse and should thus indicate closer follow-up after treatment interruption, and/or longer treatment.