Mumbai, Dec 19: An eight-month-old infant, who had struggled with breathing difficulties since birth, got a new lease of life after being successfully treated for an extremely rare and potentially life-threatening airway haemangioma at Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai.
Early Diagnosis Prevents Surgery
The child was diagnosed with a rare Grade 3 airway haemangioma, which had caused severe breathing and feeding difficulties, leading to poor weight gain. Early diagnosis through flexible bronchoscopy and timely medical treatment resulted in significant clinical improvement and helped avoid surgical intervention.
History of Persistent Breathing Distress
The female infant was brought to the hospital with a history of persistent noisy breathing since birth, which worsened while crying or lying down. She also had feeding difficulties and failure to gain weight.
At just six weeks old, she had been hospitalised for breathlessness and treated symptomatically. However, the symptoms persisted, and at seven months, she required intensive care at another hospital due to severe respiratory distress.
Specialist Evaluation Confirms Diagnosis
A detailed evaluation by the Paediatric Pulmonology and ENT teams revealed stridor—an abnormal, high-pitched breathing sound—and signs of failure to thrive. A flexible bronchoscopy confirmed a large airway haemangioma extending from the vocal cords to the lower end of the trachea, causing significant airway narrowing.
Doctor Highlights Importance of Early Detection
“Airway haemangiomas are rare but serious causes of noisy breathing in infants and are often mistaken for common conditions such as laryngomalacia, infections, or reflux,” said Dr Indu Khosla, Senior Consultant – Paediatric Pulmonology. “Early diagnosis is crucial, as many cases can be effectively managed with medical treatment, avoiding surgery.”
Medical Management and Recovery
The child was started on oral propranolol along with anti-reflux medication, calcium, and vitamin D supplements. After close monitoring and parental counselling, the infant was discharged.
Awareness Key to Better Outcomes
Dr Khosla stressed that recurrent stridor, feeding difficulties, and poor weight gain in infants require early specialist evaluation. “Though uncommon, airway haemangiomas are highly treatable when detected early, leading to better outcomes and quality of life,” she said.
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