Management of massive venous malformations by percutaneous injection of bleomycin combined with fibrin glue in the head and neck

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous injection of bleomycin combined with fibrin glue in treating massive venous malformations (MVMs) in the head and neck region. Materials and methodsA retrospective case series analysis of 22 patients who underwent percutaneous sclerotherapy between June 2015 and December 2018 was performed. All the patients were examined by comparing the size of the venous malformations (VMs) and their responses to treatment including complications in the follow-up. ResultsThe follow-up period ranged from 6 to 24 months. Ten patients (10/22) were completely cured and 10 patients (10/22) exhibited excellent size reduction of their VMs. Two patients (2/22) exhibited reasonable size reduction and were recommended to undergo a second sclerotherapy procedure. However, both patients were satisfied with the outcomes and refused subsequent treatment. Neither systemic nor local complications occurred in this study. All the patients were satisfied with their significant size reductions and symptom improvements without recurrences during follow-up. ConclusionPercutaneous injection of bleomycin combined with fibrin glue is a promising treatment option that yielded excellent size reduction with a low risk of complications on MVMs in the head and neck region.