Retrospective analysis of facial paralysis caused by ethanol sclerotherapy for facial venous malformation.

BACKGROUND Absolute ethanol sclerotherapy provides a reliable treatment for facial venous malformation, although facial nerve injury may occur after sclerotherapy. This study is a retrospective review of facial nerve dysfunction after sclerotherapy. METHODS A total of 91 patients with facial venous malformations accepted 288 ethanol sclerotherapy sessions. The facial nerve dysfunctions caused by the therapy were evaluated and analyzed. RESULTS There were 9 instances of facial nerve injury. For 18 sessions of sclerotherapy in the temporal region, 5.6% of patients experienced injury to the temporal branch; for 12 sessions in the zygomatic region, 41.7% of patients experienced injury to the zygomatic branch. After patients were treated with medication, 8 of 9 instances of nerve injury recovered. CONCLUSIONS The zygomatic and temporal branches of the facial nerve were the most vulnerable to injury after ethanol sclerotherapy. Surgeons are thus called on to pay more attention when performing ethanol sclerotherapy in those areas.