Derm News: 2007.14(8)

Complications of Sclerotherapy

Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine & Surgery, 26(1):22-28
Girish S. Munavalli and Robert A. Weiss
ABSTRACT

Sclerotherapy is the systematic, targeted elimination of intracutaneous and subcutaneous varicose, reticular, telangiectasias by the injection of a locally irritating chemical substance, called a sclerosant. The endpoint of this process is functionally analogous to surgical removal of a vein.

However, regardless of the best of intentions, complications can and will occur with enough sclerotherapy treatments. Complications resulting from sclerotherapy can be divided into the following categories for ease of explanation: (1) frequent but transient, (2) rare but self-limited, and (3) rare but major. This article will focus on select complications in sclerotherapy, review the most common complications observed, and discuss how to minimize these in daily practice.

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The Derm News service provided by the Editorial Consultants of Skin Therapy Letter^© and its founding editor Dr. Stuart Maddin.