Congenital lymphatic diseases, such as lymphangiomas, are rare and are therefore only cared for and treated at a few specialised centres. In childhood and adulthood, in addition to correct diagnosis and exclusion of malignant disease, long-term therapy is also crucial. Surgical treatment is particularly difficult in the case of large findings and is associated with a high recurrence rate. Other interventional therapies are therefore important.
At our clinic, we offer the necessary diagnostic steps as well as therapeutic sonography-assisted drug sclerotherapy for lymphangiomas in the head and neck area. The substance used for injection is a "Streptococcus pyogenes" solution called "Picibanil" (OK-432), which triggers an inflammatory reaction that leads to the adhesion and thus significant reduction in size of the lymphangioma [1, 2]. The procedure can be repeated at intervals of several months and has shown good results with a low rate of side effects in the case reports treated to date.
Literature:
[1] Rebuffini E et al, Picibanil (OK-432) in the treatment of head and neck lymphangiomas in children. Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2012 Dec;9(Suppl 2):S192-6. doi: 10.4103/1735-3327.109752. PMID: 23814582; PMCID: PMC3692172.
[2] Bloching M et al, Sklerotherapie zystischer Raumforderungen im Halsbereich mit OK-432 [Sclerotherapy with OK-432 for cystic tumours in the neck region]. ENT. 2005 Mar;53(3):238-42. doi: 10.1007/s00106-004-1102-4. PMID: 15221083.
