Effects of sclerosing agents on head and neck hemangiomas: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature for studies that investigated the effects of sclerosing agents on head and neck hemangiomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical trials, cohort studies, and descriptive studies were considered eligible and selected in a two-phase process. Six main electronic databases, in addition to three grey literature databases, were searched. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the “Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument” checklist. From fifty-six considered eligible, five were finally included. RESULTS: One article were judged at low, one at moderate, and three at high RoB. The sclerosing agents investigated were sodium tetradecyl sulphate (n=2), ethanolamine oleate (n=1), pingyangmycin (n=1) and bleomycin (n=1). Overall, good results were achieved on the treatment of head and neck hemangiomas with intralesional sclerotherapy. Most commonly reported adverse effects included pain, swelling, fever, necrosis, transient facial palsy, and anorexia. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the limited number of included studies, intralesional sclerotherapy on the management of HN hemangiomas presented overall good results with minor adverse reactions, especially in regards to smaller lesions. Key words:Sclerotherapy, sclerosing solutions, vascular neoplasms, hemangioma.