Epidemiology and surgical treatment in patients with lymphatic malformations Epidemiología y tratamiento quirúrgico de pacientes con malformaciones linfáticas

Abstract

Background: Lymphatic vascular malformations, formerly known as lymphangiomas, are alterations in the formation of lymphatic channels.
Objective: To determine the epidemiology and surgical management of patients with lymphatic
malformations seen in a high-complexity pediatric hospital between 2017-2022. Methods: The study reviews medical records in which patients with lymphatic vascular malformations with surgical resection were identified in the institution from 2017 to 2022. Results: We included 53 pediatric patients; 52,8% were male (n=28). The tumor was the predominant sign in 96.2 % of cases (n=51), followed by respiratory stridor with dyspnoea in 7.6% (n=4). Regarding the size of the malformations, 41.5 % of cases had a size between 11 and 15 cm (n=22). The most common site was the cervical region (n=47; 88.7 %). In addition, 7 cases required preoperative tracheostomy (13,2%), and 2 cases required postoperative tracheostomy (3,8 %). There were no complications in 79% of patients (n=42). Conclusions: Lymphatic malformations can occur in various locations at different stages in pediatric patients, ranging in size from small masses to large tumors that can cause deformities in the head, neck, and thorax. In some cases, these malformations can obstruct the airway and digestive tract, leading to significant complications.