Sclerotherapy for venous malformations of the glans penis

Objectives. To retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutan eous sclerotherapy with polidocanol in 9 patients with venous malformations of the glans penis. Vascular malformations of the external genitalia can b e aesthetically and functionally disabling. These lesions are rare and thei r treatment is still controversial. Methods. Seven patients were asymptomatic, seeking advice for cosmetic reas ons, and 2 patients had experienced several bleeding episodes during sexual : intercourse. In all patients, Doppler ultrasound scanning was performed b efore treatment. All patients underwent direct intralesional injection of p olidocanol. The concentration of the sclerosant varied from 1% to 3%, and t he volume of the solution varied from 2 to 4 mL per injection. Four patient s required multiple sclerotherapeutic sessions. Results. All patients experienced marked swelling after the injection and t hree developed cutaneous blistering. Neither cutaneous necrosis nor early o r late major complications occurred. At a mean follow-up of 35.1 months, 7 patients were cured and 2 had marked improvement. No patients presented wit h signs of recurrence, and the outcome was overall cosmetically successful. Conclusions. Sclerotherapy with polidocanol is a well-tolerated, safe, and effective treatment for venous malformations of the penis. In our opinion, it can be considered the treatment of choice. UROLOGY 57: 310-313, 2001. (C ) 2001, Elsevier Science Inc.