Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for lip mucous membrane venous malformation in infants.

OBJECTIVE

Lip mucous membrane venous malformations are common benign lesions in infants. This clinical study evaluates the efficacy and safety of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy used to treat this condition.

METHODS

A total of 84 pediatric patients undergoing liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for venous malformations involving the lips were reviewed, with 45 males and 39 females treated. The overall median age at mucous membrane venous malformation diagnosis was 5.6 months (range 2-18 months). The venous malformations involved the vermilion of the lower lip in 44 cases, the vermilion of the upper lip in 31 cases, and both vermilions in 9 cases.

RESULTS

No complications due to anesthesia occurred. After a follow-up period of 2-38 months (mean 25 months), 65 lesions (77.4 %) were completely involuted, 14 lesions (16.7 %) were mostly involuted, and 5 lesions (5.9 %) were partially involuted; no lesions showed a minor amount of involution.

CONCLUSIONS

Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy is an effective, simple, and safe management tool for mucous membrane venous malformations of the lip in infants.