Response of infantile airway and facial hemangiomas to propranolol in a patient with PHACE syndrome

PHACE syndrome is a neurocutaneous syndrome defined by posterior fossa malformations (P), hemangiomas (H), arterial anomalies (A), cardiac defects and coarctation of the aorta (C), and eye abnormalities (E). Propranolol is currently first line therapy for treatment of head and neck hemangiomas that cause functional defects or extreme disfigurement. The safety and efficacy of this treatment have been well documented in current literature, but few authors have reported the use of propranolol in patients with PHACE syndrome. We report a case of a patient with PHACE Syndrome and associated infantile airway and facial hemangiomas who was successfully treated with propranolol and a review of the literature on this subject.