Ultrasound and MRI findings as predictors of propranolol therapy response in patients with infantile hemangioma

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the prognostic value of ultrasound and MRI findings in patients with infantile hemangioma undergoing propranolol therapy. Methods This study was based on retrospective interpretation of prospectively acquired data. Thirty-eight consecutive patients (28 females and 10 males; mean age ± standard deviation, 3.2 ± 2.2 months) who underwent propranolol treatment for infantile hemangioma were included. Pre-treatment ultrasound images were assessed in terms of echogenicity, lesion height and vascularity. Presence of prominent intratumoral fat, non-fat septa, and enhancement pattern on MRI were retrospectively evaluated. Mann-Whitney test, chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare imaging parameters between patients with treatment success and failure. Results All patients underwent ultrasound and 15 patients underwent MRI. A total of 24 patients showed successful treatment. Between patients with treatment success and failure, there were significant differences in increased vascularity on pre-treatment ultrasound (19/24 vs. 6/14, p = 0.025), decreased vascularity on post-treatment ultrasound (21/24 vs. 5/14, p = 0.001), and prominent intratumoral fat on MRI (1/8 vs. 5/7 p = 0.033). There were no significant differences in echogenicity, lesion height on ultrasound, non-fat septa and MR enhancement pattern. Conclusions Increased vascularity on pre-treatment ultrasound was significantly associated with successful treatment for propranolol therapy in patients with infantile hemangioma, whereas prominent fat component on MRI was significantly associated with treatment failure.

The Application of Color Doppler Ultrasound in the Evaluation of the Efficacy of 595-nm Pulsed Dye Laser Combined with 755-nm Long-Pulse Alexandrite Laser in the Treatment of Hybrid Infantile Hemangiomas

“…In contrast, in the regressive phase of IH, the tissue is gradually replaced by fibers and fat, 24 and the ultrasound shows volume decrement, echogenic enhancement, and blood flow signal degression. 25 Color Doppler ultrasound is mainly used to evaluate the efficacy observation and prediction of oral propranolol for IH, which is deeper. In contrast, evaluation of the effectiveness of superficial IH relies primarily on the visual observation of clinicians.…”

Identification of Diagnostic Markers in Infantile Hemangiomas

“…Recently, various new biomarkers were studied and examined for IHs diagnosis, prediction of therapeutic efect, and nosogenesis investigation [12][13][14][15][16]. Diferentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and 6-, 12-, and 24month-old IHs samples were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database in the present study, and the front-rank genes were identifed by DEGs coordinated with PPI network construction.…”