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Elaine Siegfried, MD
St Louis, Mo

Arch Dermatol. 2002;138:884.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Hemangiomas are the most common tumor affecting infants. Common complications include disfigurement, ulceration, and significant pain. Despite the prevalence of this tumor, its epidemiology is not well documented, its pathogenesis is unclear, and a uniform approach to therapy has not been defined.¹ Topical or systemic corticosteroids are often prescribed during the rapid-growth phase in the first year of life with the expectation of controlling tumor growth. Sixty percent of infantile hemangiomas respond to treatment with corticoids.² Minimal to moderate shrinkage can occur, but brisk involution does not. Insidious adverse effects include irritability, hypertension, and a recent concern about neurodevelopmental impairment.³ Clearly, there is a need for a safe, effective alternative treatment.The use of imiquimod cream for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas is intriguing, and the response observed by these authors impressed them enough to apply for a use patent. However, clinicians must be very cautious about indiscriminately . . . [Full Text of this Article]