Polidocanol Foam Sclerotherapy for Nodular Type V Port-Wine Birthmark: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Type V nodular port-wine birthmarks (PWBs) are challenging to treat due to dilated vasculature and potential arteriovenous malformations, with conventional therapies such as pulsed dye laser often yielding limited results. Polidocanol foam sclerotherapy, though promising for vascular malformations, remains underexplored for PWB. This retrospective study evaluated the safety and efficacy of polidocanol foam sclerotherapy in patients with nodular Type V PWB at our institution. A total of 10 patients (3 male, 7 female; mean age: 41.1 ± 14.0 years) were treated with 1% or 3% polidocanol foam injections administered at monthly intervals. Efficacy was measured by nodule volume reduction, clinical improvement, and patient satisfaction. At 1-month follow-up, median nodule volume reduction was 77.5%, with a mean clinical improvement score of 3.1 ± 1.0 and a mean patient satisfaction score of 7.2 ± 1.7. No disease progression or major complications occurred during extended follow-up (mean duration: 13.4 ± 10.4 months), although one patient developed a hypertrophic scar. These results suggest that polidocanol foam sclerotherapy is a safe and effective option for managing Type V nodular PWB, with minimal adverse events and high patient satisfaction, warranting further investigation in larger, prospective studies.