title: Percutaneous treatment of facial venous malformations: a matched comparison of alcohol and bleomycin sclerotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Venous malformations (VMs) are common vascular anomalies; 40% are found in the head and neck. Percutaneous sclerotherapy is 1 treatment of choice.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 17 patients with facial VMs were treated by percutaneous sclerotherapy using alcohol and individually matched to lesions treated with bleomycin. Treatment details and outcomes were compared. The average numbers of sessions were 1.7 for alcohol and 3.4 for bleomycin. Average dose administered was 8.1 cm³ alcohol and 9.1 units bleomycin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of those treated with alcohol, 2 developed adverse effects and 7 developed complications. None treated with bleomycin developed adverse effects or complications. All patients treated with alcohol improved clinically. In all, 15 patients treated with bleomycin improved after treatment and 2 were unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol has a slightly higher success rate and requires fewer treatment sessions. Bleomycin has a lower complication rate and less postprocedural swelling. Bleomycin treatment may be better tolerated and is thus preferred over alcohol sclerotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krings
authors.forename: Karel G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: TerBrugge
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004954:Esthetics; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005145:Face / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D014680:Veins / Q000002:abnormalities*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D001761:Bleomycin; D000431:Ethanol