What is PHACE Syndrome?
Most infantile hemangiomas are not serious.
However, children with certain types of facial hemangiomas may have other related issues.
PHACE syndrome may be suspected in infants with large hemangiomas on the face, head, and / or neck.
PHACE syndrome is an association between large infantile hemangiomas of the face, head and / or neck and developmental defects of the eyes, heart, major arteries and brain. The cause of PHACE syndrome is unknown.
P = Posterior fossa (This refers to possible abnormal structures in the brain, particularly the cerebellum.)
H = Hemangioma
A = Arterial (This refers to possible abnormal arteries in the brain, neck or chest.)
C = Cardiac (This refers to possible heart defects or abnormalities of the large blood vessels connected to the heart.)
E = Eyes (This refers to possible eye or vision issues.)
Infants with PHACE syndrome may have one or more of these problems, in addition to the hemangioma. Rarely, children may have an abnormal sternum (breastbone) or hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone).