TREATMENT OF PERIOCULAR CAPILLARY HEMANGIOMA WITH TOPICAL CLOBETASOL PROPIONATE

Background: Hemangiomas pose a therapeutic challenge because they can threaten vision in infancy and early childhood. Intralesional injectio n of corticosteroid is widely regarded as the treatment of choice for hemangiomas which induce strabismus or significant refractive error, o r occlude the visual axis. Ocular and systemic complications such as e yelid necrosis, central retinal artery occlusion, and adrenal suppress ion have been reported rarely after corticosteroid injection. Methods: Three infants were treated with clobetasol propionate (Temovate) crea m for vision-threatening eyelid hemangiomas. Results: Treatment with t his topical fluorinated corticosteroid produced a measurable reduction in the size of the hemangiomas, which permitted clearing of the visua l axis. No regional side effects were noted. in addition, the patients did not demonstrate evidence of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis s uppression. Conclusions: This treatment modality appears to provide an additional alternative for managing superficial periocular hemangioma s which threaten vision.