Combined management of a disfiguring facial hemangioma by endovascular embolization and surgical excision: Case report

Abstract

Infantile hemangiomas are considered the most common benign soft tissue tumors of infancy, occurring in 4%–10% of children under 1 year of age, with female to male ratio about 4:1. Within the first weeks of life, they enter a rapid proliferative phase lasting for 3–6 months; a period of stabilization for a few months follows with spontaneous involution usually occurring over several years. However, when they ulcerate, grow massively, cause disfigurement, or affect the normal function or cosmetic development, they become a serious problem. Common locations for problematic hemangiomas include the face, ear, orbit, and airway. These hemangiomas subsequently require early and aggressive treatment for preservation of ideal functional and cosmetic outcomes. Here, we present a case of frontonasal cutaneous hemangioma with left intra-orbital extension, which was managed with combined efforts of interventional radiology in the form of endovascular embolization followed by surgical excision, after the failure of medical treatment in the form of propranolol for 6 months. Keywords: Infantile hemangioma, Endovascular, Embolization