Treatment of hemangioma of the head and neck with diode laser and forced dehydration with induced photocoagulation.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of treating oral hemangiomas using forced dehydration with induced photocoagulation (FDIP) via diode laser.

METHODS

One-hundred sixty patients were treated between 1999 and 2006 (76 men, 46%; 84 women, 54%). In 136 cases we used FDIP to treat hemangioma, and in 24 cases complete surgical excision was performed. One-hundred thirty-four lesions had a surface area <2 x 2 cm2, whereas only two had large lesions measuring 2.5 x 2 cm2.

RESULTS

In 136 patients with hemangiomas treated with FDIP, 134 cases (98.53%) showed complete remission, one case (0.735%) did not show complete remission, and one case (0.735%) displayed tumor growth. There were no adverse effects and all patients were carefully followed-up until complete healing was documented, along with any complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that FDIP is a useful and effective treatment for benign oral vascular lesions. FDIP treatment of these oral lesions is clinically significant because it provides effective management, avoids recurrence, and shortens healing time. We believe that the use of this method by medical and dental specialists should be supported.