Application of topical betaxolol for curing superficial infantile hemangioma: A pilot study.

Abstract

Beta-blockers have gradually become an attractive option for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas. Topical application is more preferred over oral administration since their potential systemic adverse effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of betaxolol in treating superficial infantile hemangioma. 74 infants admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from 2018 to 2019 were observed and recorded. The changeable indicators such as color, size, tension and thickness were monthly recorded and evaluated according to visual analog scales. Multi-factor analysis of variance with repeated measurements and Kruskal-Wallis H nonparametric test were performed to compare the clinical effectiveness across different groups. After six months of treatment, 33.78% (25/74) got excellent results, 55.41% (41/74) had good response, 8.11% (6/74) had moderate response and 2.70% (2/74) had poor response respectively. Neither local discomforts nor systemic complications had been found. There was no significant difference in gender and location of occurrence among groups (P > 0.05), while the effect of topical application of betaxolol was optimum in the children aged 0-3 months (P = 0.002). None of three age groups had statistically significant discrepancy of heart rate and blood pressure after accepting treatment (one month, P = 0.618; four months, P = 0.138; six months, P = 0.757). Our study showed that topical administration of betaxolol was effective and well-tolerated for superficial infantile hemangiomas, particularly in the early proliferative stage. However, its safety and efficacy need continuous studies to be confirmed.