Controversies in the treatment of infantile haemangiomas with ß-blockers

Abstract

The management and therapy of infantile haemangioma (IH) have changed greatly over the years, especially after 2008 with the observation that propranolol, a non-selective ß-blocker, influences IH growth and regression. Beta-blocking agents, in particular propranolol, are now widely used, both orally and topical. However, a uniform strategy is not yet available and currently a lot of patients with alarming and non-alarming IHs are being treated with different ß-blockers, different dosages and different durations. Also management before and during treatment differs and side effects are not clear. We conclude that there are a lot of controversies in the treatment of IHs with ß-blockers, and in this chapter, we discuss these controversies and substantiate these with the available evidence.