Beta Blockade as Treatment for Intracranial Infantile Hemangioma: Case Report and Literature Review

BackgroundIntracranial infantile hemangiomas are extremely rare, with only 36 patients reported in literature. Treatment for intracranial infantile hemangiomas has been mostly limited to surgery, steroids, and interferon therapy. Propranolol, which is often used to treat cutaneous infantile hemangiomas, is not currently standard treatment for intracranial infantile hemangiomas.Patient DescriptionWe present a one-month old boy with an intracranial infantile hemangioma treated with propranolol.ResultsThis boy was being treated with oral propranolol for a supraclavicular infantile hemangioma. Subsequent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed evidence of an associated intracranial infantile hemangioma in the right cerebellopontine angle. Repeat brain MRI scan after two months of propranolol treatment demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the intracranial infantile hemangioma.ConclusionsThis is the first report of successful therapy of an intracranial infantile hemangioma with propranolol.