Intralesional steroid for Infantile Parotid Hemangiomas: An understanding with a case report

Hemangiomas are the most common parotid gland tumours in children. These lesions commonly go unnoticed in the newborn period but become conspicuous in the initial months of life. They increase in size during the first year of life and typically regress during the next decade. The presentation of hemangioma is variable in relation with their size, extent and morphology (1). These may be part of a V3 mandibular segment hemagioma associated invariably with cutaneous involvement and occasionally with airway involvement, or they may present as isolated focal hemangioma (2). These lesions display female predilection. There is an increased frequency of hemangiomas in premature infants and are uncommonly seen in dark skinned infants (1). In the first year of life, hemangiomas account for approximately 50% of parotid tumours (3). Because these lesions have an affinity for ectoderm, the parotid gland and the minor salivary glands of the lower lip mucosa are the only salivary gland affected (4). Diagnosis can be established by various diagnostic techniques like ultransonography, computed tomography or MRI. Owing to the benign nature of these hemangiomas, many authors favour conservative, nonoperative treatment, including corticosteroids (systemic or intra-lesional), interferon, propranolol and various sclerosants. We here present a child with a parotid hemangioma involving both lobes of parotid who showed substantial regression following intralesional dexamethasone along with an insight into review of literature.