RESUMO
The objective of the present study was to estimate the effectiveness and tolerance of propranolol therapy prescribed to the children presenting with vascular hyperplasia of the larynx. The experience with propranolol therapy of 12 patients suffering vascular hyperplasia of the larynx (subfold hemangioma) is analysed. Nine of these children had been given systemic glucocorticoid therapy prior to the present study that failed to produce a clinically significant effect. On the contrary, the treatment with propranolol resulted in a well apparent clinical effect in the form of the marked decrease in the size of subfold hemangioma and the reduction in the degree of laryngeal stenosis from grade 2-3 to 0-1 as early as 10-14 days after the onset of propranolol therapy at a daily dose of 2 mg/kg. None of the patients developed adverse reactions related to the treatment with propranolol. The results of the study indicate that the treatment of vascular hyperplasia, such as subfold hemangioma with the non-selective beta-blocker propranolol is both efficacious and safe for the patients. This gives reason to recommend this therapeutic modality as the first-line treatment of the children starting from the first weeks of life.