Mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in an infant: a case report and literature review

Abstract

We performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging examinations, treatment, and prognosis of a male infant who was diagnosed with mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in our hospital. The clinical features of this patient were coughing, wheezing, and dyspnea. Enhanced computed tomography of the neck and chest showed a diffuse abnormality in the right-upper mediastinum. He was diagnosed with a hemangioma after a physical examination combined with bronchoscopy. The clinical symptoms were relieved by oral propranolol. We also investigated the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in infants in the previous literature, and searched for case reports of this disease in China and in other countries. We only identified three previous cases of mediastinal and subglottic hemangioma in infants, indicating that this condition is rare. In the proliferative stage, surrounding organs and tissues are compressed, which can be life-threatening. Most of these children develop wheezing, shortness of breath, dyspnea, cyanosis, and other symptoms within 2 months. Enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging combined with soft bronchoscopy can confirm the diagnosis of this disease, and oral propranolol achieves a favorable effect.