Purpose To determine the efficacy of ethanol embolization in management of tongue venous and lymphatic malformations.

Material and Methods 48 patients (29 females, 19 males; mean age: 38 years) presented with tongue low-flow malformations. 47 patients had undergone 61 failed previous procedures (embo, laser, surgery, steroid injection, alpha-interpheron, radiation). All patients had baseline arteriograms and MRs. All patients underwent direct puncture ethanol endovascular therapy.

Results Of 48 patients with venous and lymphatic malformations, 37 patients had dramatic reduction and 11 patients‘ therapy is on-going with concurrent reductions (mean f/up: 60 months). 1 patient with AVM required additional surgery and 1 patient with mixed veno-lymphatic malformation required surgical debulking of excess tissues. Minor complications such as tongue blisters (9 instances) healed spontaneously; 3 tongue focal areas of necrosis healed spontaneously; 3 infections responded to antibiotic treatment; 1 focal tongue hemi numbness resolved. 1 patient with dense VMs had a portion of the tongue slough and the tongue healed and remolded with no treatment required.

Conclusions Ethanol embolotherapy is a primary and consistent form of therapy to eradicate low-flow vascular malformations of the tongue permanently at long-term follow-up. Rarely is concurrent surgery required. Ethanol sclerotherapy is a curative treatment in which recurrences do not occur and permanent ablations are the rule. Complications are minor and rare.

Disclosures W. Yakes: None.