Background: While sclerotherapy in chronic venous insufficiency and in hemorrhoids is well established, the use of sclerotherapy for hemangiomas of the skin is widely unknown.
Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical value of sclerotherapy with polidocanol in a larger population.
Methods: Over a period of 20 years (1975-1995) we performed sclerotherapy of hemangiomas and vascular malformations in a total of 157 patients. Their ages ranged from 3 months to 75 years. Among these were 87 (55.4%) children and adolescents (up to the age of 18). Sclerotherapy with polidocanol was carried out mostly at monstrous or rapidly growing cavernous hemangiomas mainly localized in the face.
Results: One to three injections was usually sufficient to obtain the sclerosis effect; aesthetically, long-term results were convincing. Severe complications were not observed.
Conclusion: Sclerotherapy of hemangiomas is a relatively simple, effective, and inexpensive method that is a valuable and promising treatment.