Successful treatment of cardiac haemangiomas with oral propranolol: a case series of two patients

Ioannis Polymerou; Tiina Ojala; Pipina Bonou; Laura Martelius; Aphrodite Tzifa

doi:10.1093/ehjcr/ytz093

Successful treatment of cardiac haemangiomas with oral propranolol: a case series of two patients

Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2019 Jun 1;3(2):ytz093. doi: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytz093.

Authors

Ioannis Polymerou¹, Tiina Ojala², Pipina Bonou¹, Laura Martelius³, Aphrodite Tzifa¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatric Cardiology and Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Mitera Hospital, Erithrou Stavrou, Athens, Greece.
² Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Research Center, New Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Stenbäckinkatu 9, Helsinki, Finland.
³ Department of Radiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), Stenbackinkatu 9, Helsinki, Finland.

Abstract

Background: Cardiac haemangiomas are extremely rare tumours with equivocal surgical outcomes. Haemangiomas appearing on other sites of the body have been successfully treated with oral propranolol. To the best of our knowledge, such treatment has not been tried to date for cardiac location of haemangiomas.

Case summary: We report two cases of neonatal cardiac haemangiomas, and we describe their presentation and characteristics, as well as how these were successfully treated with oral propranolol, with complete regression of the tumours within the 1st year of life.

Discussion: Despite the rarity of cardiac haemangiomas, their presentation and complications could be dramatic with side-effects spanning from intracardiac space occupying phenomena to Kasabach-Merritt syndrome. Propranolol therapy, having been established for long now in the treatment of skin haemangiomas, should also be considered in cases of cardiac haemangiomas, particularly in the neonatal and infantile population.

Keywords: Cardiac tumour; Case series; Haemangioma; Infantile; Neonatal; Propranolol.