Sclerotherapy to a large cervicofacial vascular malformation: a case report with 24 years' follow-up.
BACKGROUND
Large craniofacial venous malformations frequently cause significant cosmetic and functional problems. Treatment of the lesions early in life helps to avoid these problems. We present a case of a large cervicofacial venous malformation.


METHODS
The patient was treated with a 5% benzyl alcohol solution of sodium morrhuate. The treatment was begun when the patient was 3 months of age, with a total of 23 injections.


RESULTS
The lesion had completely disappeared by age 10. No major complications were observed except a superficial tissue loss on the temporal region. It was healed by conservative treatment. There were no recurrences during the 14-year follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
It is difficult to conclude that this type of treatment is the best choice for patients with venous malformation on the basis of a single case. However, intralesional sclerotherapy should be kept in mind as a saving treatment option in cases of large venous malformations in anatomic regions that present challenges to both the surgeon and the patient. Intralesional sclerotherapy can be performed without serious complications if the sclerosing agent is selected and injected cautiously.
Yildirim
Ibrahim
I
Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Iş Bankasi Ibrahim Ağa Bloklari, 80200 Kadiköy-Istanbul, Turkey.
Cinar
Can
C
Aydin
Yagmur
Y
Cayci
Cenk
C
D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000628:therapy*; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000628:therapy*; D005145:Face / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012976:Sodium Morrhuate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014680:Veins / Q000002:abnormalities
D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D012976:Sodium Morrhuate