Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy for conjunctival lymphangioma

Lymphangiomatous tissue involving the ocular adnexa may be difficult to manage because this highly vascular, unencapsulated tissue intermingles freely with normal adnexal structures. Hemostasis is difficult to obtain, and important ocular and periocular structures are damaged easily. We have successfully treated two individuals who had extensive conjunctival involvement of their lymphangioma with the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. The CO2 laser permits a precise form of treatment with the ultimate form of hemostasis (tissue vaporization), resulting in minimal trauma, edema, and scarring, and thus offers a safe alternative to surgical excision of these lesions.