A national multicenter analysis of hospitalization admission records for lymphatic malformation in China from 2016 to 2023

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic malformation (LM) is a low-flow vascular malformation caused by the abnormal development of the lymphatic system. This study aimed to provide an update on pediatric LM by investigating its clinical characteristics and hospitalization burden in multiple medical centers across China. METHODS: This study utilized data from the Futang Research Center of Pediatric Development (FRCPD). All hospitalization records from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2023 (N = 10,974,595) were screened to identify children with LM. For these patients, a comprehensive analysis of clinical characteristics (e.g., demographics, lesion location, treatment, comorbidity/complication and ICU admissions) hospitalization burden (i.e., length of stay and total cost) was conducted. RESULTS: Our study comprised 24,207 inpatients with LM, predominantly from the eastern region. The typical hospitalized patient was a child aged 1-3 years or on trunk involvement. Strikingly, sclerotherapy was 1.57 times more common than surgical resection. The most frequent comorbidity/complication were infectious diseases. Treatment patterns also varied by anatomy: lesions in the trunk favored surgical resection, while other areas usually undergo sclerotherapy. Critically, hospitalization burden differed significantly based on lesion site, treatment received, and the presence of comorbidity and complication. CONCLUSIONS: By analyzing a national cohort of pediatric inpatients with LM, this study provides contemporary insights into the clinical characteristics and hospitalization burden of this condition in China. These findings underscore the substantial healthcare impact of LM and are critical for informing future healthcare strategies and resource allocation.