Diagnosis and treatment of lymphatic malformations

Abstract

More than seventy percent of lymphatic malformations (LMs) occur in head and neck region. The management of head and neck LMs is challenging,especially for diffuse and infiltrative cases.It can cause deformity and death in severe patients. Surgical resection is the main method to treat LMs in the past and sclerotherapy has also greatly improved the treatment out come of LMs over the past 20 years. However, it is still hardly to achieve satisfactory prognosis for the patients with extensively infiltrative lesions, regardless of surgical resection or sclerotherapy. In the past five years, some scholars have made a preliminary exploration of new treatment methods, such as oral medicine, to diversify the treatment options of head and neck LMs. This article will review the general situation, biological properties, clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, and current treatment strategies for LMs as well as trends in management of LMs.