title: Efficacy and safety of Duplex-guided polidocanol foam sclerotherapy for venous malformations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to report our experience regarding the safety, efficacy of duplex-guided polidocanol (POL) foam sclerotherapy on the overall status of signs and symptoms in patients with venous malformations (VMs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty seven patients with symptomatic extratruncular VMs were treated with duplex-guided POL foam sclerotherapy using Tessari's method. Twenty five patients had limited VMs, while twelve had infiltrating VMs. Postsclerotherapy surveillance was done 6 months after the last sclerotherapy session and comprised both clinical and duplex evaluation. Clinical evaluation entailed a patient self-assessment questionnaire using a four-point scale to rate the degree of symptoms improvement as follows: disappeared, decreased, worsened, or recurred. Findings obtained by duplex scanning were divided into four groups: 1) disappeared group; 2) partially recanalized group; 3) totally recanalized group; and 4) worsened group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 20 males and 17 females with mean age of 22.8±5.5 years. There was a significant reduction in the total amount of POL (P=0.0037), the number of sclerotherapy sessions was significantly lesser (P=0.0019), and treatment success was significantly higher (P=0.0495) in patients with limited VMs in comparison to those with infiltrating VMs. No major complications related to sclerotherapy were encountered in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Polidocanol foam sclerotherapy is effective, and safe for treatment of VMs, with high success rate and low risk of major complications. Although associated with relatively high recurrence rate compared with ethanol sclerotherapy, this can be overcome by additional treatment sessions, given the relative simplicity, speed, and safety.
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Department, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut, Egypt - haithamvascular@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Haitham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Department, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery Department, Qena University Hospital, Qena, Egypt.
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mohammed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000628:therapy*; D014680:Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols