The Use of Sodium Tetradecyl Sulphate for the Treatment of Venous Malformations of the Head and Neck

Introduction Vascular malformations have devastating cosmetic effects in addition to being associated with pain and bleeding. Sclerotherapy has been used as an effective therapeutic modality for the management of vascular malformations. The purpose of this case series is to describe our clinical experience of using sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) 3 % in the treatment of venous malformation lesions of head and neck. Materials and Methods Thirteen patients were included in this study (three male and ten female; age range between 8 months and 54 years; mean age 18.2 years, +/- SD 15.71). The patients were treated by 3 % STS intralesional injections. Of the thirteen patients treated, complete resolution occurred in four patients (28.57 %), a good response occurred in five patients (35.7 %), a moderate response in two patients (14.28 %), a mild response in two patients (14.28 %) and no response in one patient (7.14 %). The side effects encountered in all patients were pain and edema after injection which was controlled by oral analgesics and an intramuscular injection of dexamethasone. In addition, two patients developed a superficial ulceration (11.76 %) which healed uneventfully, and one patient developed ecchymosis after injection (5.88 %). Conclusion Sclerotherapy with 3 % STS is a simple, safe, and effective modality for the treatment of venous malformations.