Ces radiol. 2009, 63(2):133-137

Treatment of peripheral venous malformations by absolute ethanolOriginal article

Marie Černá¹, Martin Köcher¹, Eva Justová², Bohumil Zálešák³, Petr Utíkal⁴, Jiří Kozák¹, Petr Dráč⁴, Rohit Philip Thomas¹

¹ Radiologická klinika FN Olomouc

² Klinika ústní, čelistní a obličejové chirurgie FN Olomouc

³ Oddělení plastické a estetické chirurgie FN Olomouc

⁴ II. chirurgická klinika FN Olomouc

Aim: To evaluate efficacy of percutaneous treatment of peripheral venous malformations by ethanol.


Material and method. From March 2005 to February 2008 we treated 20 patients (11 women and 9 men) with peripheral venous malformations at our department. Average age was 26 years. All malformations indicated to treatment were symptomatic (pain in all patients, impaired function in two, impaired sensitivity in one and cosmetic defect in eight). Localions of venous malformations were in upper lip in 5 patients, thenar eminence in 2, forearm in 2, thigh in 2, upper lip and face, lower lip, chin and tongue, shoulder, elbow, fingers, knee, crus, tongue and hypothenar eminence in others. Patients were treated by 95% ethanol in amount 0,5 - 14 ml (average 5.4 ml) in one session. Sclerotisations were performed in 1 to 8 sessions (average 2.8). Seven patients were treated surgically, one patient surgically and by Aethysclerol (polidocanolum) and two patients only by Aethysclerol (polidocanolum).

Results: From 20 patients treatment was successfully finished in 14 patients (total symptoms reduction or lessening symptoms), five patients are still being treated and one patient refused to continue treatment. In one patient rest fibrous tissue was extirpated. In three patients complication occurred after sclerotisation, in two patients tissue necrosis, in one vesicles. Tissue necrosis was treated surgically. Vesicles spontaneously healed. These three complications occurred in total of 58 sessions (5.1 %).

Conclusion: Percutaneous sclerotisation of peripheral venous malformations by ethanol is effective and relatively cheap treatment.

Keywords: vascular malformations, ethanol, sclerotisation, venous malformations

Accepted: April 15, 2009; Published: June 1, 2009  Show citation