[OK-432 therapy for lymphangioma in children].

OBJECTIVE To report the experience with OK-432 therapy for lymphangioma in children. METHODS Retrospective study of 19 children with lymphangioma treated with OK-432 in Ribeirão Preto, state of São Paulo, Brazil, between 1999 and 2003. RESULTS All patients presented response to OK-432, 12 had total shrinkage and seven had partial shrinkage varying from 50 to 80%. Patients had fever after injections of OK-432 for 2 to 10 days, no damage to the overlying skin was observed. CONCLUSION OK- 432 is safe, effective and can be used as primary choice of treatment of patients with lymphangiomas because of the excellent response. In these cases surgery should not be necessary. In patients with partial regression new injections of OK-432 must be used to shrink the lesion. Thereby safely surgery could be made.