ULTRASOUND-GUIDED INTERSTITIAL ND-YAG LASER TREATMENT OF VOLUMINOUS HEMANGIOMAS AND VASCULAR MALFORMATIONS IN 92 PATIENTS

In many cases voluminous vascular anomalies of the head and neck regio n are still treated with conventional surgery, although neodymium:yttr ium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser therapy offers a valuable treatment alternative, Ninety-two patients with voluminous hemangiomas and vasc ular malformations were treated with interstitial Nd:YAC: laser therap y (power density, 1300 to 3300 W/cm(2)), partly complemented by a nonc ontact-mode Nd:YAG laser light application (energy density, 1000 to 25 00 J/cm(2)). The vascular tumors had a diameter of more than 3 cm in a t least two dimensions. Treatment was carried out under ultrasound and manual control, Nearly 60% of the patients (n = 55) showed a complete clinical regression, Thirty-three patients (35.8%) had a partial regr ession and were satisfied with the treatment outcome, Four patients we re treated unsuccessfully with the laser, and three of them subsequent ly underwent conventional surgery, Only nine of the 92 patients (9.8%) showed cosmetic or functional impairments, The results of this first consecutive series study with a retrospective clinical evaluation of t he interstitial Nd:YAG laser therapy of voluminous hemangiomas and vas cular malformations in a large patient group demonstrate a high effect iveness of this novel therapy modality.