Congestive heart failure with diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis – case report and literature review

Abstract

Vascular hemangiomas are considered to be a common finding among neonates and infants. The presence of five or more cutaneous hemangiomas may carry a higher incidence of multiple organ involvement An eleven week old female infant with high cardiac output heart failure and multiple cutaneous hemangiomas was referred to our clinic. Soon after birth she failed to gain weight and developed breathlessness. There was partial response to Captopril and Frusemide therapy, with development of a progressive cough. Echocardiogram and liver and brain ultrasound scans revealed heart chamber enlargement, multiple liver hemangiomas and an isolated cerebellar arterio-venous malformation (AVM). Supportive treatment for congestive heart failure combined with propranolol therapy resulted in rapid clinical response and recovery. The diagnosis of Diffuse Neonatal Hemangiomatosis in infants with failure to thrive and symptoms of heart failure raises the possibility of internal organ involvement. Augmentation of propranolol in such cases may cause regression of Hemangiomatosis with patient clinical improvement. We report our experience with a single patient of Hemangiomatosis induced heart failure which responded to propranolol combined with medication to control heart failure and failure to thrive prevention. This treatment should be further evaluated with special attention to potential adverse effects, tolerance and compliance.