Atenolol treatment does not affect behavioral outcomes in pediatric patients with infantile hemangiomas: A case-control cohort study.

To the Editor: Recently, atenolol has generated interest as an alternative to propranolol in the treatment of infantile hemangioma (IH), due to comparable efficacy and better safety profile, in terms of central nervous system (CNS)-related adverse effects.1,2 Despite the promising benefits of atenolol treatment, its effects on CNS development in children have not been evaluated to date. Theoretically, atenolol, unlike propranolol which is lipophilic, has a hydrophilic structure that prevents it from crossing the blood-brain barrier.