Clinical manifestations of hemangioma in infants and children and how to treat them

Hemangiomas are relatively common benign tumors in infants and young children, and their incidence varies by race, with our scholars reporting an incidence of 1% to 10%. By 5 years of age, 50% of children have complete regression, and by 9 years of age, 90% have complete regression, with the longest regression lasting until 12 years of age. Eventually, 20-40% have residual skin changes, and 10-20% of hemangiomas do not completely resolve. Hemangiomas can occur anywhere on the body. However, they are most often found in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, followed by the oral mucosa and muscle. About 80% of hemangiomas are solitary, with the head and neck being the most common, accounting for about 70% of cases. Some cases, especially those growing in the oral and maxillofacial areas, can lead to disfigurement, dysfunction, and even life-threatening. Clinical manifestations of hemangioma: About 80% of hemangiomas are solitary, 20% are multiple, and 70% are in the head and neck. Female infants are more common, and the ratio of female:male is 3:1. 1. Course of disease: The natural course of hemangioma is rapid growth within 8-12 months after birth, which is the proliferative period, followed by a slow receding period; 2. Color: Superficial hemangioma is bright red, and the color gradually deepens during the proliferative period, and starts to fade from bright red to dark purple, and finally becomes florid, and the skin on the surface of deep hemangioma is elevated, normal color or translucent blue. 3.Palpation: The texture of hemangioma is like rubber, and the blood in it cannot be emptied by pressure, and the body position test is negative. The hemangioma in the regression stage is a residual fibrofatty tissue with a soft texture. Because of the rapid growth of hemangioma in the early stage, there is an expansion to normal tissue, which causes the involvement of normal skin tissue, rich blood supply, resulting in tissue hypertrophy, and local plastic repair is still needed after receding, about 10-20% of hemangioma does not completely recede, so early intervention treatment should be carried out to inhibit its rapid growth, so that it can turn to the stable and receding stage, which is helpful to control the early stage of hemangioma This can help control the early development of hemangioma and reduce late complications. If hemangiomas that are clearly in the proliferative phase are not treated in a timely manner, the eventual excessive and continuous proliferation not only greatly prolongs the number of years to recede, but also increases the possibility of permanent deformity. In addition, hemangiomas in special areas such as the tip of the nose and upper lip often take longer to recede, and some scholars believe that early and aggressive treatment such as surgery should be considered from a psychological perspective. Therefore, early, timely and moderate intervention treatment is advocated for infant and young children with hemangioma. There are many treatment methods for hemangioma, such as laser, radiation, interferon, hormone, freezing and surgery, etc. First of all, avoid using too strong treatment methods (such as freezing to produce ulceration and scars, and radiation treatment to increase the incidence of local tissue development disorder and malignant tumor). Laser treatment, oral or topical medication, and local injection can be used, which are safe and effective with few side effects. Surgical treatment can also be considered for those with small scope, or those with life-threatening or organ function impact. Therefore, for the site, stage, size and functional impact of hemangioma, comprehensive treatments such as laser, drugs and surgery can be used to achieve satisfactory clinical results.