Effects of blood flow control on clinical outcomes after ethanolamine oleate sclerotherapy for vascular malformations.
The purpose of this study was to assess the control of nidus blood flow and the association between such control and clinical outcomes after ethanolamine oleate (EO) sclerotherapy for vascular malformations. Morphological grades on magnetic resonance (MR) images (grades 1-3), preprocedure nidus blood flow control, and clinical results in 22 cases of vascular malformation were reviewed. Cases were subdivided by MR morphological grade as follows: grade 1, 3 patients; grade 2A, 6 patients; grade 3, 13 patients. Responses to EO sclerotherapy were as follows: excellent, 3 patients; good, 5 patients; poor, 14 patients. An excellent response was achieved in one grade 1 case, one grade 2A case, and one grade 3 case. Preprocedure nidus flow was controlled in 8 lesions (type A) and not controlled in 14 lesions (type B). Three (37.5%) type A lesions had an excellent response, five had a good response; and none had a poor response. All type B lesions had a poor response. Flow control predicted an excellent result (P < 0.05). Preprocedure nidus blood flow control (versus lack of control) is associated with a significantly higher incidence of favorable clinical responses to EO sclerotherapy for vascular malformations.