Use of percutaneous bleomycin sclerotherapy for orbital lymphatic malformations.

PURPOSE: Bleomycin sclerotherapy has been shown to be a viable treatment for lymphatic malformations. However, its use for these lesions confined to the orbit is becoming increasingly documented in the literature. In this study, we summarize the clinical manifestations and outcomes observed following percutaneous bleomycin sclerotherapy for orbital lymphatic malformation.

METHODS: A 5-year retrospective chart review of patients with clinical, radiographic, and/or biopsy-confirmed diagnoses of orbital lymphatic malformation that received bleomycin sclerotherapy was conducted at the Emory Hospital and Clinics. Data examined included patient demographics, patient history and symptoms, clinical findings, radiographic findings, route of bleomycin delivery, and outcome.

RESULTS: Of the 10 patients who met inclusion criteria, the median age of treatment was 7 years. The most common presenting symptoms included vision change and proptosis. Nine of 10 patients demonstrated macrocysts (>1 cm) on imaging. Seven of 10 patients had histories of prior interventions including resections, cyst drainage, and debulking. Because 2 of these 10 patients were lost to follow-up, 8 patients remained for post-procedural evaluation. Four of these eight showed improvement of visual acuity after post-bleomycin sclerotherapy. In seven of eight patients, extraocular motility either improved or remained stable. Pretreatment and posttreatment exophthalmometer measurements obtained in four patients revealed an average improvement in proptosis of 65% from their average pretreatment measurements.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that percutaneous bleomycin sclerotherapy is a viable option for treatment of orbital lymphatic malformations, with potentially greater benefit to those with macrocystic features.