Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program for Infantile Hemangiomas Associated with Multi-Organ Structural Birth Defects

Infantile hemangiomas are the most common benign vascular tumor in infants, affecting 4-5% of children. Thirty percent of segmental infantile hemangiomas on the face and scalp are associated with birth defects of multiple organs. This condition is known as PHACE, an acronym for posterior fossa brain malformations, segmental facial hemangiomas, arterial anomalies, cardiac defects, eye anomalies, and sternal clefting. Genomic analysis of PHACE will inform treatment and expand knowledge about the causes of birth defects affecting the brain, arteries, heart, eye, midline development and hearing. The knowledge gained in this study will be used to drive strategies for prevention and provide critical targets for treatments for a range of birth defects and infantile hemangiomas.