Conservative management of the Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (cavernous haemangioma and thrombocytopenia).

Two neonates with the Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (cavernous haemangioma and spontaneous bleeding) are described. The first bled into a rapidly growing cervical haemangioma. A consumptive coagulopathy was found, and he required blood transfusions; no response to steroids was observed. Further treatment was conservative, and at the age of 2 years he is well and the haemangioma is shrinking. The second infant had a strawberry naevus on the thigh which started bleeding when he was 10 days old, a buttock mass and a mass in the foot, thought to be lipomas. No clear benefit was derived from steroids. Bandaging of the thigh prevented further bleeding, and he is well at the age of 10 months. Conservative management seems best in the condition, and steroids appear to be of value in approximately 40% of cases.