Clinical characteristics of infantile hemangiomas with aggressive, persistent, and destructive ulceration

• Published in: Pediatric dermatology Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 996 - 1002
• Main Authors: Gautam, Ayushi, Frieden, Ilona J., Shah, Sonal D., Witman, Patricia M., Harfmann, Katya, Bradley, Flora, Blei, Francine, Pope, Elena, Alsumait, Anwar, Gupta, Deepti, Covelli, Isabela, Streicher, Jenna L., Cotton, Colleen, Tollefson, Megha, Nguyen, Henry, Hunt, Raegan, Buros, Amy, Fernández Faith, Esteban
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2023
• Subjects: aggressive ulcerationhemangioma; Babies; Hemangioma; infantile hemangioma; Pediatrics; Phenotypes; Skin diseases; ulceration; Ulcers; vascular anomalies
• ISSN: 0736-8046; 1525-1470
• DOI: 10.1111/pde.15444

Background/Objectives Ulceration is a common complication of infantile hemangioma (IH). Severe, persistent ulceration occurs in a minority of patients. This study aims to characterize the clinical features of IH with aggressive ulceration (AU). Methods Multicenter retrospective study of clinical features of IH with AU. Results Thirty‐five patients with AU were identified and included in the study. The majority of AU occurred in segmental IH (23/35, 65%). Segmental IH with AU were large (≥10 cm2; 16/23, 69%, p < .001) with a thin (<3 mm) superficial component (16/23, 69%, p < .001). Localized IH with AU had a thick (>3 mm) superficial component (11/12, 92%, p < .001). All diaper area IH with AU (9/35) were segmental with thin superficial component (100%, p = .02). IH with AU in the head/neck (10/35) were more commonly localized (67%) and mixed (62.5%), while segmental, thick superficial morphology was more common on trunk (9/35) and upper extremities (7/35). Conclusions IH resulting in AU differ in clinical features by anatomic site. Those in the diaper area are nearly always segmental with thin superficial component, whereas other sites tend to be localized, mixed, with thick superficial component. These distinct phenotypes may prove useful in the clinical setting for physicians to identify patterns of IH ulceration with increased risk of aggressive, persistent ulceration.