Cystic Hygroma Treatment & Management

Although some authors have reported watchful waiting of cystic hygroma (CH), it should be considered only in patients who are asymptomatic. The medical treatment of CH consists of the administration of sclerosing agents. Sclerosing agents include OK-432 (an inactive strain of group A Streptococcus pyogenes), bleomycin, pure ethanol, bleomycin, sodium tetradecyl sulfate, and doxycycline.

OK-432

Although not currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), OK-432 (Picibanil) has been reported to successfully treat CH.^[8] The mechanism of action is proposed to be an inflammatory response to the inactive bacteria, leading to fibrosis of the hygroma. OK-432 may be a viable option for large unilocular cysts. Currently, OK-432 is available in the United States only by protocol. It does not work well for small cysts. Because the procedure for using OK-432 involves aspiration prior to injection of the sclerosant, some have hypothesized that the true effect is from the aspiration.

Bleomycin

Bleomycin is considered a poor choice because of its toxicity (pulmonary fibrosis) because CH is a benign disease and other treatment options are available. Niramis et al studied 70 patients who underwent sclerotherapy with bleomycin; 83% obtained an excellent or good result, 43% had adverse reactions, and 3 patients died.^[9]

Sainsbury et al studied 75 patients, 83% of whom had complete or significant response. Five adverse reactions were reported, with no severe morbidity or mortality (to include pulmonary fibrosis).^[10]

Alcohol

Absolute alcohol as a sclerosing agent has been used with some success in some patients; alcohol works well in vascular malformations. Imperizzilli et al studies CT guided ethanol injection and obtained complete resolution in seven of eight patients without complications^[11] }.

Interferon alfa-2a

This has been used in the treatment of hemangiomas, and its use has been proposed in lymphangiomas. However, its efficacy has never been documented and it carries a serious side effect profile.

Fibrin sealant

The use of a fibrin sealant after aspiration of CH has been reported in the literature.

An infected CH should be treated with intravenous antibiotics, and definitive surgery should be performed once the infection has resolved. Incision and drainage or aspiration results in only temporary shrinkage, and subsequent fibrosis can further complicate the resection. Radiotherapy has not been demonstrated to be effective. The preferred treatment of all CH is surgical resection. Only resection can truly offer the potential for cure.

The mainstay of treatment is surgical excision. Although surgery is the criterion standard for treatment, both the operating team and the family of the patient should go forward with the knowledge that CH is a benign lesion. If acute infection occurs prior to resection, surgery should be delayed at least 3 months.

• The surgical team should attempt to completely remove the lymphangioma or to remove as much as possible, sparing all vital neurovascular structures. Complete excision has been estimated to be possible in roughly 40% of cases.
• CHs are ideally removed in one procedure because secondary excisions are complicated by fibrosis and distorted anatomical landmarks.
• Microcystic lesions are much more difficult to remove because of their intimate association with nearby tissues. Laser therapy is a recent advancement in the treatment of microcystic lesions.
• The exceptions to excision at the time of diagnosis are few and include premature infants who are small in size and those with involvement of crucial neurovascular structures that are small and difficult to identify (eg, facial nerve). If no airway obstruction is present, surgery can be delayed until the child is aged 2 years or older, especially when operating around the facial nerve in the parotid area.
• Signs of airway obstruction require surgical evaluation at the time of diagnosis. In emergency situations, aspiration with an 18-gauge or 20-gauge needle may obviate the need for an emergency tracheostomy.
• Although traditional wisdom has dictated not aspirating lymphatic malformations, a study by Burezq et al documented success with serial aspiration of CH.^[12] In their series, 14 patients were treated with aspiration alone (3 needed multiple aspirations), with a mean follow-up of 5.75 years. No failures were reported. This technique may hold promise for the future management of CH. Other authors contend aspiration has no role and believe that aspiration is often followed by recurrence, hemorrhage, or infection.
• Radiofrequency ablation has been advocated for use with intraoral lymphatic malformations, especially microcystic lesions.
• Magnetic resonance–controlled laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy is a novel therapy that has been proposed for treatment of lymphangiomas.
• CH can present on routine prenatal ultrasonography as a large obstructing airway mass, as can other pathologic conditions such as a teratoma or rhabdomyosarcoma. If such a mass is visible on ultrasonography, MRI should be performed to further delineate the mass. In these cases, a multispecialty team including a high-risk obstetrician, pediatric otolaryngologist, pediatric surgeon, and neonatologist should be present at the ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure. A planned cesarean delivery is performed, and intubation or tracheostomy is used to establish an airway. Extracorporal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) should also be available. Excision of the CH is delayed until the child is stable. Intrauterine cyst aspiration to facilitate vaginal delivery has been reported in the literature.

Depending on the anatomical location, referral to a surgeon or surgical specialist is appropriate. In patients with CH of the head and neck, referral to an otolaryngologist is appropriate.

No special dietary requirements are necessary for patients with CH.

Patients with CH should be directed to avoid direct trauma to the area because intralesional bleeding or infection can be precipitated by trauma.