Diode laser light and sclerotherapy in the treatment of venous malformations in the maxillofacial region

Objective: to compare outcomes after treatment of venous malformations (VM) in the maxillofacial region using diode laser light and sclerotherapy with 3 % Aethoxysclerol foam.Materials and methods. 40 patients with venous malformations of the maxillofacial region were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two equal groups of 20 individuals each: in Group 1, patients were treated with diode laser light; in Group 2, patients had sclerotherapy with 3 % Aethoxysclerol foam. For laser therapy, Lachta-Milon diode laser (Russia) with an optical light guide having a flat end of 0.4–0.6 mm, wavelength 980 nm, pulse-periodic mode with interval 0.1–0.25 seconds at power 3.5–5.5 was used. In Group 2 VM sclerotherapy by L. Tessari’s technique (2000) in the maxillofacial region consisted of injection of microfoam made of 3 % Aethoxysclerol solution into the malformation lumen.Results. In all patients, management was successful without intraoperative or postoperative bleeding. The performed study revealed that sclerotherapy with Aethoxysclerol foam is most effective for treating large and medium-sized malformations resulting in significant reduction in formation size. To treat malformations located in difficult anatomical areas, such as peri-orbital or hard and soft palate, diode laser with wavelength 980 nm and power ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 W turned to be the most effective.Conclusion. Endovascular laser obliteration is an effective and safe technique for treating venous malformations in the maxillofacial region. It is also a method of choice for malformations located in the peri-orbital area.