Why Is Infantile Heangiomas Important?

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs), which are characterized by endothelial cell hyperproliferation, are the most common soft tissue tumors of infancy. They occur in 4% to 10% of children younger than one year of age. Females are affected more often than males with ratio of 3:1 [1-2]. Prematurity and low birth weight (<1500 grams) are considered potential predisposing factors. Infantile hemangiomas are characterised by a triphasic clinical and histological evolution with rapid growth (proliferative phase) followed by a plateau period and a slow spontaneous involution (involutive phase) [3-4]. Most hemangiomas become evident within the first few weeks of life and may be subtle at birth, after which they enter a phase of rapid growth lasting from 3 to