IINFANTILE HEMANGIOMA: A REVIEW OF ETIOPATHOGENIC, CLINICAL, DIAGNOSTIC, AND THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS

Abstract

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign soft tissue tumor in childhood, affecting 1 to 2% of newborns and 10 to 12% of babies in the first year of life. It is more common in girls and premature babies. There is an increased risk of hemangioma in children whose mothers underwent chorionic villus sampling during pregnancy. Infantile hemangioma is generally not clinically visible at birth, however, after the initial lesion appears, growth is fast, with more than 90% of hemangiomas becoming visible by the end of the first month of life. The diagnosis, in most cases, is made clinically and may require additional tests. Treatments for hemangiomas can be surgical or clinical. In the clinical approach, local or systemic medications are used, with corticosteroids and alpha-Interferon being the most common. Surgical treatment must be carried out carefully, prioritizing not causing sequelae greater than the natural involution of the hemangioma.