Use of oral corticosteroid therapy to treat infancy hemangiomas of the oral and maxillofacial regions： An overview

Using systemic corticosteroid therapy for enlarging,problematic infancy hemangiomas of the oral and maxillofacial regions has a long history,but there are still some problems to be clarified,such as the response to treatment,the best age for medication,the rational dosage,regime,course,the relationship of dose to response and adverse effects,as well as the mechanisms of response.This paper reviewed the relevant literatures both in English and Chinese and our own clinical experiences,and found that high dose-short course systemic corticosteroid treatment is effective for infantile hemangiomas,which should be given within 1 year after birth.To minimize the potential side effects of corticosteroid use,the regime of taking prednisone in the early morning at a dose of 3.0 to 5.0 mg/kg once every other day for 11 weeks seems to be rational.The commonly used regime is,using 3.0-5.0 mg/kg every other day for 8 weeks,1.5-2.5 mg/kg every other day for week 9,10mg every other day for week 10,5mg every other day for week 11 and stopping medication at week 12.The patients should be monitored closely for any side effects and any immunization schedules should be adjusted accordingly.This treatment can be repeated 4-6 weeks later for 2 to 3 courses.