Usefulness of a Low-Dose Sclerosing Agent for the Treatment of Vascular Lesions in the Tongue

Abstract

Hemangiomas and vascular malformations are common benign lesions of vessels in the cervical region. However, the lesions may not completely disappear and may require surgical or nonsurgical intervention. Several treatment options, including surgical excision, steroid injection, laser therapy, and sclerotherapy, are available. Surgical excision is a commonly used treatment; however, in cases of hemangiomas of the tongue, excision of the lesion may cause esthetic or functional impairments, including speech and swallowing. Sclerotherapy is a simple and safe method for treating vascular lesions conservatively. In this case report, two patients with a vascular lesion of the tongue underwent conservative sclerotherapy without surgical excision using a sclerosing agent (sodium tetradecyl sulfate). Both patients showed regression of the lesion without complications. As presented in these cases, repeated injections of low-dose 1% sodium tetradecyl sulfate as a sclerosing agent were safe and showed satisfactory outcomes.

Keywords: hemangioma; sclerotherapy; sodium tetradecyl sulfate; sts; vascular malformation.