Hypoglycemia as a Result of Propranolol During Treatment of Infantile Hemangioma: A Case Report

Abstract

Propranolol is a new and promising treatment for hemangiomas of infancy. We report of a patient in whom steroid maintenance therapy is successfully tapered after introduction of propranolol. This patient, however, developed symptomatic hypoglycemic events presumably because of a concurrent deficiency of epinephrine and cortisol as a direct result of both beta-blockage by propranolol and adrenal insufficiency as a result of prednisone use. Extreme care should be taken in patients treated with both propranolol and prednisone as they are at increased risk of hypoglycemia.