Clinical observation of compression therapy in infantile rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects and safety of compression therapy in infantile rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma (RICH). Methods A total of 17 RICH children who were treated by pressure methods from January 2015 to September 2016 in Department of Interventional Radiology & Vascular Abnormality, Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center, were chosen as study subjects. There were 10 males and 7 females, and age of 3 to 14 weeks old when the first visit to outpatient clinic. The clinical manifestations, therapeutic process and outcomes of 17 RICH children were retrospectively analyzed. Results Among these 17 RICH children, tumors of RICH were located at four limbs in 16 cases, who were treated with bandage compression methods; tumor of RICH was located at right shoulder and back for another RICH child, and was treated with gauze block compression therapy. All subjects were treated by compression therapy for 1 to 3 months, and received 6-month follow-up. There were 16 cases with four limbs RICH cured, the tumors were almost disappeared. Among these 16 cases, the skin color of the tumors were almost restored to normal in 3 cases, and significantly lighter in other 13 cases; they all had no recurrence during follow-up phases. For 1 case with tumor of RICH located at right shoulder and back, the tumor volume decreased about 85% after compression therapy and 3-month follow-up, the skin became slightly loose with light pale purplish red color. The effective rate of compression therapy for RICH was 100% in our study. Only 1 case had skin rash in treatment and skin rash disappeared after symptomatic treatment; no other severe adverse reactions in 17 cases, such as local tumor rupture, bleeding, nerve injury and tissue necrosis, etc.. Conclusions Compression therapy for infantile RICH has evident effect with no trauma, and there are no severe adverse reactions with proper banding strength. Key words: Hemangioma; Congenital; Rapidly involuting; Compression therapy; Infant