Purpose: We used color Doppler ultrasound to conduct an objective evaluation of the 595-nm Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL) combined with 755-nm long-pulse alexandrite sequential laser treatment for hybrid IH.
Patients and Methods: A total of 116 cases of hybrid IH were selected for this study. The interval between laser treatments was around 4 weeks, and 6 laser treatments or complete removal of the tumor was the end point. All children underwent color Doppler ultrasonography at the 0th, 1st, 6th months of treatment. Children were grouped by gender, age (< 6 months, ≥ 6 months), thickness (< 8 mm, ≥ 8 mm), and location (face and neck, trunk, and extremities). Calculate the volume of IHs according to color Doppler ultrasound. The volume ratio before and after treatment was defined as the A-value. Treatment outcomes were defined as effective when the A-value < 75%.
Results: In total, 74 cases (63.79%) had effective outcomes. Overall, the samples showed a statistically significant difference in the reduction of IH volume after 6 months of laser treatment (P < 0.001). The treatment of < 6 months group had better efficacy than the ≥ 6 months group (P < 0.001), the treatment of thickness < 8 mm group had better efficacy than the thickness ≥ 8 mm group (P < 0.001) and there was no significant difference in efficacy between the three different location groups (P > 0.05). Greater reduction in blood flow in the group with the effective outcome than in the group with the ineffective outcome (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Color Doppler ultrasound can be applied to the diagnosis of hybrid IH and to the evaluation of treatment time and outcomes, and it can help clinicians recognize hybrid IH with greater accuracy. The earlier intervention for hybrid IH we perform, the better outcomes will be.
Keywords: hybrid infantile hemangioma, color Doppler ultrasound, treatment, pulsed dye laser, alexandrite laser