Pediatric dermatology
September 17, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Clinical Characteristics, Management, and Complications of Infantile Hemangiomas Involving the Ear and Periauricular Region.
Matarneh B, Stefanko N, Mancini AJ, +15 more, Hemangioma Investigator Group.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Most infantile hemangiomas of the ear and periauricular region required active treatment, chiefly to prevent anatomic deformity, with systemic beta-blockers used in about half.
What was studied
Multicentre retrospective study of 305 patients with ear/periauricular infantile hemangiomas across seven tertiary centres (2001-2021).
Key findings
- Active intervention in 80% of 250 patients with management data
- Indications: risk of deformity 72%, ulceration 18%, functional impairment 17%
- Treatments: systemic beta-blockers 48%, topical corticosteroids 46%, topical timolol 32%
- Beta-blocker-treated lesions had higher HSS scores (median 15.5 vs 10)
Clinical relevance
This supports considering ear and periauricular hemangiomas as higher-risk lesions warranting early specialist evaluation, though data are retrospective from referral centres.
Who should care
Limitations
Retrospective design, referral-centre selection bias, and inclusion of patients treated before beta-blockers were available.
Ear-region infantile hemangiomas usually need treatment, mostly to prevent deformity.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background
Despite advances in IH research across various anatomical sites, studies focusing on IH involving the ear and periauricular areas remain scarce.
Objective
To analyze the clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of IH involving the ear and periauricular area.
Methods
Multicenter, retrospective study of patients with IH involving the ear and periauricular area across seven tertiary referral centers between 2001 and 2021. Data analyzed included patient demographics, IH location, management practices, Hemangioma Severity Scale (HSS) scores, and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) IH risk categories.
Results
A total of 305 patients met the inclusion criteria. Management decision information was available in 250 patients. Active intervention was pursued in 80% of the patients with available management information. The risk of anatomic deformity was the most common indication for treatment (72%), followed by ulceration (18%) and the risk of functional impairment (17%). Systemic beta-blockers were used in 48% of patients, followed by topical corticosteroids (46%) and topical timolol (32%). Treatment with a systemic beta-blocker was associated with a significantly higher HSS score (median 15.5, IQR: 12-20) compared to patients treated with topical therapy (median 10, IQR: 8-12).
Conclusions
Given their location and potential for anatomic deformity and functional impairment, ear and periauricular IH may require intervention. A majority of patients in this cohort required treatment, most commonly for risk of anatomic deformity. The study is limited by the retrospective design and inclusion of patients seen before beta-blockers were available for IH management.
DOI
10.1111/pde.70359
PMID
42751730
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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