Response to propranolol in infantile hemangioma

Propranolol, 2 mg/kg/day, is effective in the treatment of infantile hemangioma. We report the response to propranolol in infants with hemangioma at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day. Sixteen infants with newly diagnosed infantile hemangioma were given propranolol at a dose titrated from 0.5 mg/kg/day then increased to 1 or 2 mg/kg/day based on response to treatment until the lesions showed clinical stability for 3 consecutive months. Five out of 16 patients (31.2%) responded to propranolol at 1 mg/kg/day, while the remainder required 2 mg/kg/day for response. Vascular endothelial growth factor significantly decreased after treatment (median, 117.8pg/mL; range, 35.3-468.7pg/mL vs 59.2pg/mL; range, 26.3-133.0pg/mL; P = 0.016). Therefore, we recommend initiating treatment at 0.5 mg/kg/day for 2 days, then 1 mg/kg/day for 1 month. If the hemangioma has not decreased in size by 1month follow up, the dose is subsequently increased to 2 mg/kg/day.