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Preoperative treatment of a parotid hemangioma with 100% ethyl alcohol
1Numune State Hospital, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erzurum, Turkey.
Insights
Intralesional ethyl alcohol injections can effectively shrink large infantile hemangiomas before surgical removal. This treatment offers a promising option for reducing disfigurement and improving outcomes in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Dermatology
- Vascular Malformations
Background:
- Infantile hemangiomas are common pediatric neoplasms, affecting up to 12% of infants.
- These benign tumors typically grow rapidly in the first year and then involute over a decade.
- Large or deforming hemangiomas, particularly in the parotid region, present significant treatment challenges.
Observation:
- A case study involved a pediatric patient with a large, deforming parotid gland hemangioma.
- The hemangioma was preoperatively treated with an intralesional injection of 100% ethyl alcohol.
- Surgical excision was performed 28 days after the injection.
Findings:
- The intralesional ethyl alcohol injection successfully reduced the size of the parotid hemangioma.
- The subsequent surgical removal of the mass proceeded without major postoperative complications.
- This suggests ethyl alcohol can be an effective preoperative treatment for large infantile hemangiomas.
Implications:
- Intralesional ethanol sclerotherapy may be a viable therapeutic option for pediatric hemangiomas.
- This approach could potentially minimize surgical burden and improve cosmetic outcomes.
- Further research is warranted to establish the safety and efficacy of this method in a larger cohort.
Abstract:
Hemangiomas are one of the most common childhood neoplasms, occurring in approximately 12% of infants younger than one year of age. The lesions typically appear shortly after birth, increase in size over the first year and characteristically regress over the next decade. Because hemangiomas can be visible during an important stage of a child's social development, numerous authors have pursued alternative treatment strategies to avoid or reduce this lengthy involution process. Unfortunately, no effective medical treatment has been reported for children with large, deforming hemangiomas of the parotid gland and overlying cheek. In the present case, a patient with a large parotid hemangioma was treated preoperatively with an intralesional injection of 100% ethyl alcohol solution to reduce the size of the mass. The mass was removed 28 days later with no major postoperative complications.
