Severe intracranial infectious complication after sclerotherapy in facial venous malformations: a case report

Venous malformations are common slow-flow vascular malformations. Sclerotherapy shows satisfactory efficacy in venous malformations, with generally manageable complications. Post-procedural infection is rarely reported. A 44-year-old male patient with extensive facial venous malformations developed severe infection in the left facial region and the central nervous system following a routine sclerotherapy. The patient’s condition rapidly worsened after admission, with repetitive convulsions of the mouth and limbs. Burr hole drainage was performed and antimicrobial and antiepileptic therapies were administered. The patient was discharged with his infection well-controlled, but reported epilepsy sequelae at 1-year follow-up. This case highlights that intracranial infection is a rare but severe complication of sclerotherapy in facial venous malformations. Early identification through timely neuroimaging and prompt anti-infective treatment are critical to the prognosis.