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Location

Texas Medical Center
West Campus

Specialty
Cancer and Hematology
Phone: 832-824-4819
Fax: 832-825-1453
Email

ixiacoba@texaschildrens.org

Address

6701 Fannin St., Ste. 1510.0
Houston, TX 77030

Ionela Iacobas, MD

Medical Director, Vascular Anomalies Center, Texas Children's Hospital
Co-Director, Vascular Anomalies Program, Cancer and Hematology Center
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine

Education

School Education Degree Year
Baylor College of Medicine Fellowship Pediatric Hematology Oncology 2010
The Brooklyn Hospital Center Residency Pediatrics 2007
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Research Fellowship Neurosciences 2004
Universitatea Ovidius, Facultatea de Medicina Medical School Doctor of Medicine 2002

About

Dr. Ionela Iacobas is the medical director of the Vascular Anomalies Center and Co-Director of the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Vascular Anomalies Program at Texas Children's Hospital. Her main interest is to offer children and young adults with vascular anomalies state-of-the-art medical management in a comprehensive approach. Ranging from venous or lymphatic malformations to metastatic vascular tumors, the Vascular Anomalies Program uses anticoagulants (like low molecular weight heparin), immunosupressants (like sirolimus), chemotherapy, etc. to treat a large variety of vascular anomalies.

Dr. Iacobas believes that children with vascular tumors and malformations need more than just invasive procedures and medications, so her team involves the major supportive services (including physical therapy, social work, child life, psychology, pain management, orthotics - compression garments, support groups, etc).

As education and research in the vascular anomalies field are essential for best patient care, Dr. Iacobas is very active at the national level as Chair of the Education Committee of the Vascular Anomalies Specific Interest Group of ASPHO, where she is developing educational resources and a curriculum for hematology-oncology physicians who are interested in vascular anomalies.

Organizations

Organization Name Role
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Member
American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (ASPHO) Member
International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) Member
Vascular Anomalies Specific Interest Group, American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (ASPHO) Chair of the Education Committee

Selected Publications

View publications on PubMed

View publications on VIICTR

Ali K, Dibbs R, Dougherty C, Iacobas I, Maricevich R. Treatment Outcomes of Manual Lymphatic Drainage in Pediatric Lymphedema. Ann Vasc Surg. 2021 Sep 1: S0890-5096(21)00563-X. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2021.06.021. Online ahead of print. PMID: 34480978

Ricci K, Iacobas I. How we approach the diagnosis and management of complex lymphatic anomalies? Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021 Apr 12:e28985. doi: 10.1002/pbc.28985. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33844431

Manor J, Patel K, Iacobas I, Margolin JF, Mahajan P. Clinical variability in multifocal lymphangioendotheliomatosis with thrombocytopenia: a review of literature. Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2021 Feb 27:1-13. PMID: 33641614.

Desai SB, Iacobas I, Rockson SG. Lymphatic Development and Implications for Diagnosis and Therapy. Lymphat Res Biol. 2021 Feb;19(1):31-35. PMID: 33625891.

Mansfield SA, Williams RF, Iacobas I. Vascular tumors. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2020 Oct;29(5):150975. doi: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2020.150975. Epub 2020 Sep 16.  PMID: 33069294

Desai SB, Sun RC, Johnson BL, Rialon KL, Iacobas I, Kukreja KU, Schady DA, Phung T, Sanvitha S, Naik-Mathuria BJ. Renal Lymphangiectasia in a Pediatric Patient. Lymphat Res Biol. 2020 Jun 24. doi: 10.1089/lrb.2020.0004. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32589505

Knadler JJ, Lawrence E, Iacobas I, Justino H, Sheth S. Combination percutaneous and medical management of cardiac rhabdomyomas obstructing tricuspid valve inflow: Case report. J Neonatal Perinatal Med. 2020 Apr 23. doi: 10.3233/NPM-190330. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 32333554

Smith RJ, Metry D, Deardorff MA, Heller E, Grand KL, Iacobas I, Rubin AI, Phung TL, Lopez-Terrada D, Steicher J, Cahill AM, Low D, Treat JR. Segmental congenital hemangiomas: Three Cases of a Rare Entity. Pediatr Dermatology. 2020 Apr 7. 37(3):548-553. PMID: 32255239

Gurunathan A, Ricci K, Iacobas I, Rednam SP, Wusik K, Fei L, Hammill AM. Impact of vascular anomalies on the PTEN phenotype in children and young adults. Pediatr Blood Cancer.2020 Mar 20:e28258. PMID: 32196895

Cohen A, Owolabi FS, Dowdell-Smith CP, Laufman J, Iacobas I, Bass L, Foradori D. Weakness, Anemia, and Neutropenia in a 9-year-old girl with Influenza. Pediatrics. 2020 Apr; 145(4):e20192574. PMID: 32144121.

Iacobas I, Adams DM, Pimpalwar S, Phung T, Blei F, Burrows P, Lopez-Gutierrez JC, Levine MA, Trenor III CC. Multidisciplinary Guidelines for Initial Evaluation of Complicated Lymphatic Anomalies – Expert Opinion Consensus. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2019 Oct 16:e28036. PMID: 31617676

Maynard K, LoPresti M, Iacobas I, Kan P, Lam S. Anti-angiogenic agent as a novel treatment for pediatric intracranial arteriovenous malformations. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2019 Oct 4:1-7. PMID: 31585413

Cohen CT, Bergstrom KL, Xiao R, Elghetany MT, Iacobas I, Sasa G. First case of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in the setting of cerebral cavernous malformation 3. Int J Hematol. 2019 Jul;110(1):95-101. PMID: 30904992

Sinton JW, Iacobas I, Cleveland H, Pimpalwar S. Case Report of Accelerated Idioventricular Rhythm in the Interventional Radiology Suite: A Sticky Situation. A A Pract. 2019 Apr 15;12(8):273-276. PMID: 30371525

Iacobas I, Phung TL, Adams DM, Trenor III CC, Blei F, Fishman DS,   Hammill A, Masand PM, Fishman SJ. Guidance Document for Hepatic Hemangioma (Infantile and Congenital) Evaluation and Monitoring. J Pediatr. J Pediatr. 2018 Dec;203:294-300. PMID: 30244993

Pimpalwar S, Yoo R, Chau A, Ashton D, Margolin JF, Iacobas I. Temporal Evolution and Management of Fast Flow Vascular Anomalies in PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome. Int J Angiol 2018. 2018 Sep; 27(3):158-164. PMID: 30154635

Klein M, Chang AK, Vasudevan SA, Blatt J, Iacobas I, Lee Sang. Clinically Significant Ascites as an Indication for Resection of Rapidly Involuting Congenital Hemangiomas. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018 May 9:e27222. PMID: 29741223

Pimpalwar S, Pereira K, Margolin J, Iacobas I, Phan-Tran H, Pimpalwar A. Percutaneous Management of Peritoneovenous Shunt Malfunction in Children. JVIR 2018; 29(3): 433-435. PMID: 29455881

Huho AN, Issaq N, Iacobas I, Elghetany MT, López-Terrada D, Fisher KE, Punia JN. A Rare Case of Pediatric Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Presenting with Severe Thrombocytosis without Leukocytosis. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2018 Jan-Feb; 21(1):100-104. PMID: 29187020.

Pimpalwar A, Iacobas I, Margolin J, Phan-Tran H, Pimpalwar S. Innovative Use of Denver Shunt in a Child with Generalized Lymphatic Anomaly. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2017;  27(10):1091-1094. PMID: 28876997

Grassia KL, Peterman CM, Iacobas I, Margolin JF, Bien E, Padhye B, Meyers RL, Adams DM. Clinical case series of pediatric hepatic angiosarcoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2017 Nov; 64(11). PMID: 28521077

Mahajan P, Margolin J, Iacobas I. Kasabach-Merritt Phenomenon: Classic Presentation and Management Options. Clin Med Insights Blood Disord. 2017 Mar 16. 10:1179545X17699849. PMID: 28579853

Iacobas I, Klepper L, Kelly J, Ferry T, Dellinger MT. Meeting Report for the 2016 Conference on GLA and Gorham-Stout Disease. IBMS BoneKEy 2016; 13:847. doi:10.1038/bonekey.2016.76

Huho AN, Issaq N, Iacobas I, Elghetany MT, López-Terrada D, Fisher KE, Punia JN. A Rare Case of Pediatric Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Presenting with Severe Thrombocytosis without Leukocytosis. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2016 Jul. 21(1):100-104. PMID: 27454200

Iacobas I, Simon ML, Amir T, Gribbin CE, McPartland TG, Kaufman MR. Calderwood s, Nosher JL. Decreased vascularization of retroperitoneal kaposiform hemangioendothelioma induced by treatment with sirolimus explains relief of symptoms. Clin Imaging. 2015 May-Jun;39(3):529-32. PMID: 25662209

Sait S, Zaghloul N, Patel A, Shah T, Iacobas I, Calderwood S. Transfusion related iron overload in pediatric oncology patients treated at a tertiary care center and treatment with chelation therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2014 Dec; 61(12):2319-20. PMID: 25154390

Drolet BA, Trenor CC 3rd, Brandão LR, Chiu YE, Chun RH, Dasgupta R, Garzon MC, Hammill AM, Johnson CM, Tlougan B, Blei F, David M, Elluru R, Frieden IJ, Friedlander SF, Iacobas I, Jensen JN, King DM, Lee MT, Nelson S, Patel M, Pope E, Powell J, Seefeldt M, Siegel DH, Kelly M, Adams DM. Consensus-derived practice standards plan for complicated kaposiform hemangioendothelioma. J Pediatr. 2013 Jul;163(1):285-91. PMID: 23796341

Iacobas I, Burrows PE, Adams DM, Sutton VR, Hollier LH, Chintagumpala MM. Oral rapamycin in the treatment of patients with hamartoma syndromes and PTEN mutation. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2011;57:321-323. PMID: 21360661

Iacobas I, Archana Vats, Hirschi KK. Vascular Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.  Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010 Jun; 30(6):1110-1117. PMID: 20453170

Iacobas I, Burrows PE, Frieden IJ, Kramer D, Liang M, Mancini AJ, Mulliken JB, Paller A, Silverman R, Wagner AM, Metry DW. LUMBAR: the Association between Cutaneous Infantile Hemangioma of the Lower Body and Regional Congenital Anomalies. J Pediatrics. 2010 Nov; 157(5):795-801. PMID: 20598318

Duffy HS, Iacobas I, Hotchkiss K, Hirst-Jensen BJ, Bosco A, Dandachi N, Dermietzel R, Sorgen PL, Spray DC. The gap junction protein connexin32 interacts with the Src homology 3/hook domain of discs large homolog 1. J Biol Chem. 2007 Mar 30;282(13):9789-9796. PMID: 17284442

Awards & Honors

Faculty Award for Excellence in Patient Care, Baylor College of Medicine, 2019

Board Certification

American Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics – Hematology/Oncology

Language

English, Romanian, Spanish

Latest Videos

Vascular Anomalies Center at Texas Children’s Hospital



* Texas Children's Hospital physicians' licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician's office and were not verified by Texas Children's Hospital.