BACKGROUND: Periocular hemangiomas can induce irreversible amblyopia by multiple mechanisms: visual deprivation, refractive error (astigmatism and/or anisometropia), or strabismus. There is a subset of complicated periocular hemangiomas most effectively managed by resection. METHODS: The authors reviewed all patients from 1999 to 2008 with a periocular hemangioma that was either completely resected or debulked; whenever necessary, the levator apparatus was reinserted. Infants were included in the study if they had complete preoperative and postoperative ophthalmic assessments and there was more than a 6-month follow-up interval. RESULTS: Thirty-three children were treated with a mean operative age of 6.2 months and a mean follow-up interval of 48.2 months. The majority of hemangiomas were well-localized and caused corneal deformation with astigmatism or blepharoptosis. Intralesional or oral corticosteroid administration was attempted in almost one-half of patients. Postoperatively, the degree of astigmatism was statistically improved: from 3.0 diopters to 1.11 diopters (p < 0.001). When resection was performed in infants younger than 3 months (19 patients), astigmatism was less severe preoperatively and the correction was slightly greater postoperatively (from 2.76 diopters to 0.80 diopters). Resection performed after 3 months (14 patients) of age also resulted in improvement of astigmatism (from 3.39 diopters to 1.38 diopters). Reinsertion of the levator expansion was required in 34 percent of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The authors advocate early resection of a well-localized periocular hemangioma to prevent potentially irreversible amblyopia caused by either corneal deformation or blepharoptosis. The longer a complicated periocular hemangioma is observed, the greater the astigmatism and the less amenable it will be to correction following tumor removal.
BACKGROUND: Periocular hemangiomas can induce irreversible amblyopia by multiple mechanisms: visual deprivation, refractive error (astigmatism and/or anisometropia), or strabismus. There is a subset of complicated periocular hemangiomas most effectively managed by resection. METHODS: The authors reviewed all patients from 1999 to 2008 with a periocular hemangioma that was either completely resected or debulked; whenever necessary, the levator apparatus was reinserted. Infants were included in the study if they had complete preoperative and postoperative ophthalmic assessments and there was more than a 6-month follow-up interval. RESULTS: Thirty-three children were treated with a mean operative age of 6.2 months and a mean follow-up interval of 48.2 months. The majority of hemangiomas were well-localized and caused corneal deformation with astigmatism or blepharoptosis. Intralesional or oral corticosteroid administration was attempted in almost one-half of patients. Postoperatively, the degree of astigmatism was statistically improved: from 3.0 diopters to 1.11 diopters (p < 0.001). When resection was performed in infants younger than 3 months (19 patients), astigmatism was less severe preoperatively and the correction was slightly greater postoperatively (from 2.76 diopters to 0.80 diopters). Resection performed after 3 months (14 patients) of age also resulted in improvement of astigmatism (from 3.39 diopters to 1.38 diopters). Reinsertion of the levator expansion was required in 34 percent of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The authors advocate early resection of a well-localized periocular hemangioma to prevent potentially irreversible amblyopia caused by either corneal deformation or blepharoptosis. The longer a complicated periocular hemangioma is observed, the greater the astigmatism and the less amenable it will be to correction following tumor removal.
Authors: Naikhoba C O Munabi; Ryan W England; Andrew K Edwards; Alison A Kitajewski; Qian Kun Tan; Andrew Weinstein; Justin E Kung; Maya Wilcox; Jan K Kitajewski; Carrie J Shawber; June K Wu Journal: Stem Cells Transl Med Date: 2015-11-16 Impact factor: 6.940