Cavernous hemangioma of the lip: combined treatment with intralesional laser and surgery

Infantile cavernous hemangioma is a benign vascular tumor in childhood. Cavernous hemangiomas have a tendency of slow enlargement with subsequent complications such as ulceration and bleeding. We report a case of a large cavernous hemangioma affecting the median upper lip in an 11-year-old girl. The lesion was growing and painful on pressure. The patient felt stigmatized. Treatment was wished for by patient and parents. After careful examination including Doppler ultrasound, we suggested a combined approach. In the first step the lesion was coagulated with an intralesional neodymium-YAG laser using a blunt tip. In the second step, immediately after the action of the laser, the lesion was removed completely by surgery. Defect closure was realized with bilateral tissue-expanding vermillion myocutaneous flaps. The patient was followed-up to 5 months. Disfigurement and functional impairment were eliminated. The result was satisfying for both patient and parents. Vascular lesions of the upper lip—particularly when close to Cupid’s bow—can become disfiguring and cause functional impairment. We propose a combined approach with intralesional neodymium-YAG laser photocoagulation to avoid bleeding and to shrink the lesion before complete surgical removal. For defect closure, bilateral tissue-expanding vermillion myocutaneous flaps (Goldstein technique modified by Sawada) were used.