Side effects of hemangioma injections

The disease of hemangioma mainly refers to the blockage of a person's blood vessels due to tumor formation, which causes blood transfusion obstruction. If blood transfusion is not smooth, it will affect the normal operation of other organs of the human body. Therefore, when hemangioma occurs, it must be treated in a timely manner. The conservative treatment method for hemangioma is mainly injection therapy, which mainly injects a sclerosing agent. But what are the side effects of injection treatment for hemangioma?

What is the injected sclerosant? Are there any differences in effects and side effects?

There are different types of hardeners. The commonly used ones are bleomycin and bleomycin, foam hardeners such as lauromacrogol, anhydrous ethanol, etc. Sodium morrhuate was used earlier, but it is rarely used now because the reaction after injection is too strong.

Specifically, bleomycin and bleomycin are widely used in China, and they have a long history of treating hemangiomas/vascular malformations. The drug is relatively mild and is very effective for smaller hemangiomas/vascular malformations with low blood flow rates, and can quickly control the progression of the disease.

However, this drug also has its limitations. On the one hand, a very small number of patients will have an allergic reaction to it. If the reaction is mild, just a low fever, poor appetite, a small amount of rash, etc., it will generally pass quickly. But if a severe allergic reaction occurs, just like an acute allergy to penicillin, it will be life-threatening if not treated in time. Therefore, close observation is required after injection to avoid serious complications.

On the other hand, this drug needs to be used within a reasonable dose and cannot be injected repeatedly indefinitely. Long-term, repeated high-dose injections may cause pulmonary fibrosis, a complication that can seriously affect respiratory function.

Foam hardeners, such as lauromacrogol, are drugs that have only been used in China in recent years. Before injection, the doctor will mix lauromacrogol with air or carbon dioxide (CO2) in a certain proportion to form a foamy substance, similar to the bubbles made by adding shampoo to water. After bubbles are formed, the contact area between the drug and the vascular endothelium can be increased, resulting in better therapeutic effects.

However, because it is a foamy substance that is absorbed by the blood, the trace gases mixed into it can flow to other places along with the blood. Therefore, it is necessary to scientifically control the injection volume each time to avoid a large amount of gas entering the blood in a short period of time and reduce the occurrence of complications.

Anhydrous ethanol is a more powerful drug. Some complex and difficult-to-treat hemangiomas and vascular malformations may be controlled with this drug.

But at the same time, it also carries greater potential risks. If anhydrous ethanol goes to the wrong place and embolizes the blood vessels in the relevant blood supply area, it will cause local tissue ischemia and necrosis in the corresponding area, which is a very serious complication.

Therefore, anhydrous ethanol is currently only used in larger treatment centers in the country. The use of anhydrous ethanol should be very cautious, and it is mainly used for some complex and difficult-to-treat hemangiomas/vascular malformations.