Itraconazole therapy for infant hemangioma: Two case reports

Abstract

BACKGROUND Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common childhood benign tumors, showing distinctive progression characteristics and outcomes. Due to the high demand for aesthetics among parents of IH babies, early intervention is critical in some cases. β-Adrenergic blockers and corticosteroids are first-line medications for IHs, while itraconazole, an antifungal medicine, has shown positive results in recent years. CASE SUMMARY In the present study, itraconazole was applied to treat two IH cases. The therapeutic course lasted 80-90 d, during which the visible lesion faded by more than 90%. Moreover, no obvious side effects were reported, and the compliance of the baby and parents was desirable. CONCLUSION Although these outcomes further support itraconazole as an effective therapeutic choice for IHs, large-scale clinical and basic studies are still warranted to improve further treatment.

Itraconazole inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis, and reduces angiogenesis of hemangioma endothelial cells by downregulating the hedgehog signaling pathway

“…Itraconazole prevented lung cancer endothelial cells from proliferating and migrating; moreover, it exhibited an antiangiogenic effect via the inhibition of tube formation [ 16 ]. Itraconazole has been proven to be a potential therapeutic for IH in various studies [ 6 , 7 , 11 , 17 ]. Another study reported that itraconazole promoted the regression of IH through the inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) [ 18 ]; however, this finding can only partly explain the inhibitory effect of itraconazole on IH.…”