Successful treatment of cardiac haemangiomas with oral propranolol: a case series of two patients.

Abstract

BackgroundCardiac haemangiomas are extremely rare tumours with equivocal surgical outcomes. Haemangiomas appearing on other sites of the body have been successfully treated with oral propranolol. To the best of our knowledge, such treatment has not been tried to date for cardiac location of haemangiomas.Case summaryWe report two cases of neonatal cardiac haemangiomas, and we describe their presentation and characteristics, as well as how these were successfully treated with oral propranolol, with complete regression of the tumours within the 1st year of life.DiscussionDespite the rarity of cardiac haemangiomas, their presentation and complications could be dramatic with side-effects spanning from intracardiac space occupying phenomena to Kasabach–Merritt syndrome. Propranolol therapy, having been established for long now in the treatment of skin haemangiomas, should also be considered in cases of cardiac haemangiomas, particularly in the neonatal and infantile population.