Evaluating the Clinical Outcomes of Parotid Hemangiomas in the Pediatric Patient Population.

INTRODUCTION

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common tumor of the parotid gland in children; however, there is no standard protocol for the treatment of IH. The generally accepted practice is to begin the patient on β-blocker therapy if there are no contraindications.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to better understand the challenges and successes of management of pediatric patients with parotid IH.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed 15 patients diagnosed with parotid IH from 2009 to 2016 who were cared for at a tertiary care center. Demographic information, lesion characteristics, and treatment course were obtained through patient chart review.

RESULTS

Fifteen pediatric patients with parotid IH were evaluated. The female:male ratio was 4:1; the average age of diagnosis was 8.75 months. Most lesions were greater than 3 cm in their widest dimension (73.3%), and 13 patients underwent imaging to further clarify the parotid mass in their clinical workup. Fourteen patients began treatment with propranolol; 10 patients saw complete resolution of their IH (66.7%) and 3 had a partial response to β-blocker therapy (20%). After discontinuation of propranolol, 2 patients had regrowth 2 to 3 months later after regression and were restarted on therapy. The average duration of treatment was 9.9 ± 8.45 months. The known adverse effects of propranolol-hypoglycemia, hypotension, bradycardia, and bronchospasm-were not observed in any patient.

CONCLUSION

In the treatment of parotid IH, propranolol is the generally accepted first-line therapy, as compared to corticosteroid or interferon α injections of years past. Parotid hemangiomas, however, have a lower response rate to propranolol and a similar recurrence rate compared to IH at other sites. The treatment duration necessary tends to be longer. Future studies will aim at identifying and evaluating potential predictors of outcomes to help inform the management of parotid hemangiomas.