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Case report: Inadvertent intra-arterial injection during sclerotherapy may not be the disaster you think
Paul Thomas1, Jo Martin2, Bruce Braithwaite3
1University of Nottingham Medical School, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Objectives:
Inadvertent intra-arterial injection is a rare and serious complication of sclerotherapy. Multiple treatments have been used in reported cases, with varying levels of success. We report a rare case of intra-arterial injection being treated with steroids and pulsed dye laser therapy and present a plan for future incidences.
Method/Case:
A 52-year-old woman presented to the clinic looking for aesthetic improvement to telangiectatic veins on the anterior aspect of the right leg. She developed cutaneous necrosis after sclerotherapy injection with 4 mL of 0.5% liquid polidocanol.
Results:
After 23 months of pulsed dye laser therapy and a course of oral prednisolone, the patient made a good recovery and is left with minimal lasting tissue damage.
Conclusions:
More research is needed into the area of treating cutaneous necrosis with a pulsed dye laser, but this case report indicates a possible future therapeutic use after a successful outcome.
