Percutaneous Ethanol Sclerotherapy of Venous Malformations of the Oral Cavity and the Oropharynx

Abstract

Objective: Percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy has shown to be efficient in treating venous malformations of the head and neck. Our aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy in treating venous malformations of the oral cavity and the oropharynx. Materials and Methods: From 2007 to 2015, 57 percutaneous procedures using ethanol were performed in 13 patients. Medical records of these patients were retrospectively analyzed. One patient was male and 12 were females. The patients' age ranged from 8 to 65 years (mean age, 30 years). The mean follow-up was 11 months. The volume of ethanol used per session ranged from 0.4 to 14 mL (mean volume, 6 mL) in 12 patients, except the syndromic patient. Results: In 7 out of 13 patients (53.4%), the lesions were resolved completely. In 3 patients (23%), sclerotherapy alleviated the symptoms. In 2 patients (15.3%), the lesions did not sufficiently respond to the therapy. In 1 patient (7.6%), sclerotherapy failed due to misdiagnosis. No major complications were encountered. All the patients experienced pain to a tolerable degree. Swelling, induration, and darkening of the lesion occurred following injections. In 1 patient, ulceration and cleavage on the tongue was resolved within 15 days after emergence. Conclusion: Percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy is a reliable and efficacious method of treating venous malformations of the oral cavity and oropharynx.