Open AccessBiomechanical properties of infantile hemangiomas: clinical stage and effect of age
Author(s) -
Visscher M. O.,
Burkes S. A.,
Adams D. M.,
Gupta A.,
Wickett R. R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
skin research and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.521
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1600-0846
pISSN - 0909-752X
DOI - 10.1111/srt.12290
Subject(s) - medicine , viscoelasticity , elasticity (physics) , surgery , materials science , composite material
Background Infantile hemangiomas ( IH s) are benign vascular neoplasms with rapid capillary proliferation shortly after birth and slow involution with diminishing capillary proliferative activity, fibrosis, and fatty replacement over 7–10 years. Methods Hemangiomas and contralateral control sites in 88 subjects were measured using a suction device, 6‐mm probe and 200 mbar negative pressure. Mechanical properties were assessed vs. controls and effects of body site, depth, clinical stage, histology diagnosis, and time. Results Biological elasticity, overall elasticity, net elasticity, total recovery, and elastic recovery were lower for IH vs. controls ( P < 0.001). IH total deformation, elastic deformation, viscoelastic creep, and residual deformation were higher than controls ( P < 0.001). Involuting IH s had lower viscoelasticity than proliferating and stable lesions ( P < 0.001) and lower viscoelastic creep than stable IH s ( P = 0.04). IH viscoelasticity was higher at 2.3 than 12.9, 23.7, and 61.0 months and at 4.9 and 8.1 than 61.0 months. IH elastic recovery varied by body site with larger differences vs. control for abdomen and leg. Elastic recovery differences from control were smaller at younger vs. older ages. Conclusions Measurement of biomechanical properties may be useful to characterize IH progression and treatment response in clinical settings.