Abstract: Objective To analyze and compare the management of periorbital hemangioma by intralesional glucocorticoids injection and systemic propranolol. Methods From Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2013, twenty-five children with periorbital hemangioma were enrolled into this study. Among them, sixteen children accepted intralesional injection of compound betamethasone preparation. Eight children accepted systemic propranolol. One child accepted both of the two treatments. Results The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 60 months. In the patients treated with intralesional glucocorticoids injection, the tumors of 13 patients involuted completely, and the tumors of the other 3 patients didn't involute completely at the end of follow-up. In the patients treated with systemic propranolol, the tumors of all the patients involuted almost completely. One patient didn’t respond to intralesional glucocorticoids injection, and was switched to systemic propranolol, which lead to the involution of tumor finally. The adverse effects in the patients treated with intralesional glucocorticoids included local soft tissue atrophy, local ulcer, and Cushing-like manifestations, which occurred in three patients respectively. In the patients treated with systemic propranolol, mild diarrhoea occurred in one child. Conclusion Both of intralesional glucocorticoids injection and systemic propranolol can achieve good results in the management of periorbital hemangioma. Systemic propranolol shows superiority in efficacy and safety. Systemic propranolol should be recommend as the first-choise therapy. However, for the children who can’t tolerate systemic propranolol, intralesional glucocorticoids injection is still a feasible choice.

Key words: Periorbital hemangioma, Glucocorticoids, Propranolol