To investigate the clinical effect of ⁹⁰Sr application on superficial hemangioma in hair area and its effect on the volume of hair.

A total of 136 pediatric patients (55 males, 81 females, 1-30 months old; 136 lesions) with head hemangioma in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between February 2018 and October 2019 were enrolled. They were divided into 3 groups according to the hair density of tumor sites. Group A (n=63, 3(2, 6) months old, male/female=27/36): the hair in tumor sites was as thick as the surrounding hair. Group B (n=40, 3(2, 5) months old, male/female=17/23): the hair in tumor sites was thinner than the surrounding area. Group C (n=33, 3(2, 6) months old, male/female=11/22): there was no hair growth in the tumor sites. All groups were treated with ⁹⁰Sr application, and the total absorbed dose of each course was 10-30 Gy, which was divided into 8 times. Three to four months after the treatment, the efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated and the volume of hair was divided into 3 grades according to the hair density of the tumor sites: flourishing, good growth and no growth. If the clinical effect was unsatisfied, a second course of treatment was conducted. Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test or χ 2 test was used for data analysis.

The differences of age (H=0.01), gender (χ 2=0.92) among group A, group B and group C were not significant (both P>0.05). The total recovery rates of 3 groups after two-course treatment were 88.9%(56/63), 95.0%(38/40) and 93.9%(31/33) respectively (χ 2=1.49, P>0.05). Besides, the incidences of adverse reactions were 6.3%(4/63), 7.5%(3/40) and 9.1%(3/33) respectively (χ 2=0.24, P>0.05). Three to four months after treatment, the hair on tumor sites in group A and B was rated as flourishing, 28 children in group C were rated as flourishing, 5 children were rated as good growth, and none of the children showed no growth.

The ⁹⁰Sr application has a good treatment effect on the small superficial hemangioma in the hair area of infants, and the amount of hair in the affected area can be restored to normal after treatment. This treatment is worthy of clinical application.

Hemangioma; Infant; Brachytherapy; Strontium radioisotopes; Hair