Ja. Werner et al., ULTRASOUND-GUIDED INTERSTITIAL ND-YAG LASER TREATMENT OF VOLUMINOUS HEMANGIOMAS AND VASCULAR MALFORMATIONS IN 92 PATIENTS, The Laryngoscope, 108(4), 1998, pp. 463-470
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.