Proposal for Staging Airway Hemangiomas

OBJECTIVE: To describe a method of airway infantile hemangioma staging using standardized assessment of airway narrowing, and hemangioma location and volume, as determined with endoscopy and CT angiography. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with chart review. SETTING: Tertiary pediatric hospital, 2003-2008. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Subjects included airway hemangioma patients evaluated at a tertiary pediatric hospital. Data collected were age at first symptoms, diagnostic evaluation, percent airway compromise, and estimated hemangioma volume. Data were analyzed with descriptive and Fisher exact statistics. RESULTS: Twelve patients were identified and seven had complete data sets. Mean age at first symptoms was 1.9 months (SD 1.09 months, range 0.5-4 months). Evaluation consisted of nasopharyngoscopy, microlaryngoscopy, CT angiography, and/or MRI. Mean laryngeal airway narrowing was estimated at 63.75 percent (SD 19.0%, range 40%-90%). Total hemangioma volume was less in patients with isolated (focal) endolaryngeal hemangiomas compared with airway hemangiomas associated with extralaryngeal (segmental) hemangiomas. Airway hemangioma stages were stage one (5 of 12; 41.6%), stage two (6 of 12; 50.0%), and stage three (1 of 12; 8.3%). CONCLUSION: This method of airway hemangioma staging may be applicable to treatment planning and used to measure treatment outcomes.