Methods of treating hemangioma in children

Hemangioma occurs when blood vessel endothelial cells in the skin grow excessively. This is a common benign disease in premature babies under 1.8 kg, and can appear on the head, face, neck, legs, arms…

Hematomas that increase in size can affect surrounding organs, causing difficulty breathing, vision loss, and hearing loss. When children have symptoms such as ulcers, infections or loss of aesthetics, parents need to take their children to the hospital.

BS.CK II Nguyen Do Trong, Pediatric Surgery Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said the cause of hemangioma in children has not been specifically determined, possibly due to genetics, immune disorders, hormones, blood vessel abnormalities, and chemical effects. Depending on the case, doctors treat pediatric patients in many different ways.

Topical medicine: The three main groups are topical beta blockers, antibiotics, and corticosteroids. Topical beta blockers are used for small, superficial hemangiomas on the skin. Antibiotics treat pediatric patients with ulcers and infections. Doctors prescribe corticosteroid drugs if the disease is likely to cause inflammation, atrophy or skin color changes, usually for children under 6 months old.

Oral medicine: If the test results show that the child is able to respond to the medication and the disease develops complications, the doctor will give the patient oral medication. Dr. Trong noted that oral medications can lead to side effects. Parents need to let their children drink exactly as prescribed by the doctor and monitor them carefully during treatment.

Surgery: This method is often indicated when the child does not respond to both topical and oral medications, and the hemangioma has stopped growing but causes loss of aesthetics. At this time, surgery helps remove what remains of the hemangioma.

Laser: This method treats shallow, flat, ulcerated hemangiomas or removes remaining blood vessels or scars. Dr. Trong assessed that laser is safe and does not cause pain to patients.

Dr. Trong recommends that parents take proper care of their children after treatment to reduce the risk of complications. Parents trim children’s nails neatly because the hemangioma area can be itchy, causing the baby to scratch, causing scratches. Do not rub when bathing or cleaning, causing the hemangioma to burst. If the child is scratched, parents need to stop the bleeding according to the doctor’s instructions and monitor carefully. After about 5 minutes, the tumor is still bleeding and the child needs to be taken to the hospital for examination.