Giant hemangioma of the arm associated with cardiac failure and the Kasabach-Merritt syndrome in a neonate.
We report a neonate who presented within hours of birth with severe congenital cardiac failure, thrombocytopenia, and consumption coagulopathy, caused by a massive hemangioma of the left arm. Initial treatment with glucocorticoids, platelet and clotting factor replacements, and cardiovascular support failed to control these hemangioma effects and amputation was avoided only when axillary artery ligation and an intermittent pneumatic compression device, manufactured in this hospital, achieved control of this lesion and hastened its subsequent resolution. The treatment of such lesions is reviewed, emphasizing individualized treatment protocols, and stressing that such lesions and their effects, cannot be regarded as variants of a single disease entity when planning management.