Diagnosis and treatment tailored to your child’s needs

Your visit will begin with a telephone conference with a team member from the Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) Center. The testing and consultation can often be completed within one to two days. We will:

  • Gather a detailed health history of your family and your child

  • Obtain all necessary medical records

  • Tailor the specific diagnostic tests and imaging necessary for your child

Diagnosing hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

On the day of the visit, your child will undergo a thorough physical examination and imaging that may include:

  • An MRI of the brain

  • CT angiogram of the chest

  • A bubble echocardiogram (an ultrasound study of the heart using a material that creates bubbles, which are injected into the blood; the bubbles are then tracked to identify heart problems)

Center of Excellence

The HHT Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital has been accredited by the HHT Foundation International as a Center of Excellence. This means we meet the highest standards for treating hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Our pediatric center is part of a joint program with the Washington University School of Medicine. As such, we provide care to children and adults with HHT.

Pediatric specialists

The HHT Center is one of only a few centers in the United States with a dedicated pediatric hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia team. Our team understands the special needs of children. We do everything we can to ensure that a child feels safe and relaxed during the office consultation, diagnostic procedures and testing.

Reducing future complications

As part of your child’s treatment, our goal is to treat current symptoms and to avoid any future complications, such as stroke or congestive heart failure.

Addressing the variety of ways HHT affects the body

Because hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia can affect many organs, it is important to have a multidisciplinary team monitoring and managing your child’s ongoing care. Our team includes specialists from: