Ethanol sclerotherapy of head and neck venous malformations / Escleroterapia com etanol em malformações venosas da cabeça e pescoço

Objective This retrospective study evaluated the results of sclerotherapy with low doses of ethanol for treatment of head and neck venous malformations. Methods We treated 51 patients, 37 females. Median age was 23 years. Patients were treated with percutaneous intralesional injection of alcohol every two weeks and followed up prospectively for a median period of 18 months. Most lesions affected the face and cosmetic disfigurement was the most frequent complaint. Results We performed a median of 7 sessions of sclerotherapy. Complete resolution or improvement was observed in 48 patients presented. Five cases of small skin ulceration, two cases of hyperpigmentation and two of paresthesia were documented; all of them were treated conservatively. Conclusion Percutaneous sclerotherapy with low doses of ethanol is a safe and effective treatment modality for venous malformations affecting the head and neck. .

Objetivo Estudo retrospectivo que analisou os resultados da escleroterapia, com doses baixas de etanol, realizada sob anestesia local para tratamento de malformações venosas na cabeça e pescoço. Métodos Foram tratados 51 pacientes, sendo 37 do gênero feminino. A mediana de idade foi de 23 anos. Os pacientes foram tratados com injeções alcoólicas nas lesões, por via percutânea, em sessões quinzenais, e acompanhados prospectivamente por um período mediano de 18 meses. A maioria das lesões acometia a face e a queixa principal mais frequente foi deformidade estética. Resultados Foram realizadas, em média, sete sessões de escleroterapia. Resolução completa ou melhora foi observada em 48 pacientes. Cinco pacientes apresentaram pequena úlcera cutânea, dois hiperpigmentação e dois parestesia, sendo todos tratados conservadoramente. Conclusão A escleroterapia percutânea com doses baixas de etanol é um método seguro e eficaz para tratar malformações venosas na cabeça e pescoço. .

Outpatient percutaneous treatment of deep venous malformations using pure ethanol at low doses under local anesthesia

INTRODUCTION: Venous malformations are the most frequent vascular malformation. Deep venous malformations are located in subcutaneous tissue or in the muscles. Percutaneous sclerotherapy is the treatment of choice, and the use of ethanol at low doses has not yet been described. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of treating Deep venous malformations patients with low doses of ethanol. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients treated between July 1995 and June 2007 were followed up prospectively over a median period of 18 months. Twenty-nine were female (74.4 percent) and 10 were male (25.6 percent), with ages ranging from 11 to 59 years (median of 24 years). All of the lesions affected limbs, and the main symptom reported was pain (97.4 percent). Each patient underwent fortnightly alcohol application sessions under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. The lesions were classified into three groups according to size using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging: small, up to 3 cm (4 patients); medium, between 3 and 15 cm (27 patients); and large, greater than 15 cm (8 patients). RESULTS: The symptoms completely disappeared in 14 patients (35.9 percent) and improved in 24 (61.5 percent). The lesion size reduced to zero in 6 patients (15.4 percent) and decreased in 32 (82 percent). The median number of sessions was 7. There were no complications in 32 patients (82 percent), while 3 presented local paresthesia (7.7 percent), 2 superficial trombophlebites (5.1 percent), 1 skin ulcer (2.6 percent), and 1 case of hyperpigmentation (2.6 percent). CONCLUSION: Outpatient treatment for Deep venous malformations patients using ethanol at low doses was effective, with a low complication rate.