Infantile Hemangioma and Cardiac Defects: a Puzzling Association. A Single-center Experience

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate clinical chart of patients with IH who had cardiologic evaluation before propranolol therapy and to compare our findings with literature data. INTRODUCTION: Some studies have assessed the incidence of heart defects in children suffering from infantile hemangioma (IH) treated with propranolol, showing a possible higher prevalence of cardiac abnormalities in this group of patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical charts of children with infantile hemangiomas referred to our dermatologic division from 2016 to 2021, who underwent our pediatric cardiology protocol screening before starting propranolol therapy. RESULTS: A total of 60 infants were enrolled. Electrocardiograms were available for all the patients and echocardiography for 50/60 (83.3%) children. Electrocardiogram didn’t reveal any alterations in most cases (pathologic in 2/60 ones, 3.3%) while echocardiograms revealed findings in 31/50 (51.7%) patients. Of these, persistent foramenovale, which was found in 14/50 patients (28%), was considered as non-pathologic. Interatrial septal defects were the main pathological finding in 15/50 patients (30%), as single defect or in association with other abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the presence of a higher rate of cardiologic findings in patients with infantile hemangioma evaluated before starting oral propranolol, compared to the known rate of those defects in healthy newborns. We also confirm that interatrial septal defects are the most frequent pathologic finding with a higher prevalence compared to published studies. Large prospective studies are needed to clarify a possible association of pathological cardiac findings in all patients with infantile hemangiomas and thereafter to evaluate the possible effect of propranolol therapy on these defects during time.