Topical β-Blockers may be effective for capillary hemangioma

This article describes the case of a 4-month-old girl treated with topical β-Blocker for a large capillary hemangioma on her left upper eyelid that induced blepharoptosis and covered her pupil. The child's mother was instructed to gently spread two drops of timolol maleate, 0.5% ophthalmic solution twice daily onto the surface of the hemangioma.

The child tolerated the treatment well, with no local or systemic adverse effects. After five weeks the hemangioma was significantly reduced in size, thickness, and color, clearing the visual axis. Treatment was discontinued at seven weeks, and repeat retinoscopy results at 11 weeks had improved to +4.00 - 1.50×180° OS from +4.50 - 3.75×180° OS pre-treatment.

The authors concluded that these results suggest that topical β-Blocker administration provides a safe and effective alternative to systemic β-Blocker treatment for capillary hemangioma.