Patient's question:
Dear Professor Dong, my child developed a 2.5x2 vascular tumor on the right clavicle at about 10 days after birth. The skin was flat at that time. By 42 days, an egg-sized lump formed under the skin, with the vascular tumor protruding above the skin surface. Now that my child is three and a half months old, the tumor is growing slowly and not very rapidly.Doctor's answer:
Based on the provided information and images, it is determined to be a tumor-type hemangioma (infantile hemangioma, where the superficial "strawberry hemangioma" and the subcutaneous "cystic hemangioma" are essentially the same type of hemangioma). Tumor-type hemangioma is the most common and easiest to treat type of hemangioma, with a typical onset, development, and regression process. Generally, within the first year of life, it is in the growth phase, with rapid growth in the initial months. As the child gets older, the tumor grows slower. After one year, growth gradually stops and transitions into the regression phase, where the tumor gradually disappears. Overall, this type of tumor-type hemangioma will eventually regress, but if left untreated and allowed to develop naturally, the outcome varies due to differences in severity and growth rate. During the one-year growth phase, many complications may occur: ulcers, infections, bleeding, etc. Most do not develop complications, but as the tumor enlarges and thickens, it becomes more difficult to regress, and after regression, aesthetic defects may remain: scars, skin folds, pigmentation residues, etc. Therefore, we advocate early treatment during the growth phase of the hemangioma to stop its growth and transition it into the regression phase, achieving rapid elimination with a more aesthetic result. It is recommended not to use surgery, cryotherapy, isotopes, hormones, or laser (as they are not completely effective and are prone to leaving scars) for treatment.The key to treating this type of hemangioma: first, the treatment timing must be early; second, the treatment method must be appropriate.
The medication used for injections in other hospitals is usually bleomycin or hormones. Bleomycin is a chemotherapeutic drug with significant side effects, and hormones also have considerable side effects. For oral medication in other hospitals, hormones and propranolol (a cardiovascular drug) are used, which have certain toxic side effects. We use urea to treat this type of hemangioma. Urea is a normal metabolic product of the human body, non-toxic with minimal side effects, and the safest.
Local urea injection treatment is similar to a regular injection and will not cause significant pain. It is estimated to take about one week, with one injection per day. In summary, please rest assured that the child's condition is relatively easy to completely cure. If you are interested in treatment at our hospital, it is recommended to come as early as possible for consultation to achieve early, complete cure with the most aesthetic result.