Lymphatic Malformation | Diagnosis & Treatments
How are lymphatic malformations diagnosed?
Before birth, lymphatic malformations can often be detected by an ultrasound. Usually, your child’s medical history and physical examination will be enough for your doctor to make the diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast enhancement is used to confirm the diagnosis and determine the extent of the lymphatic abnormality.
What are the treatment options for lymphatic malformations?
Left untreated, lymphatic malformations can result in pain, bleeding, and infection. If your child’s lymphatic malformation causes any of these complications, your physician will recommend treatment based on the depth, location, and severity of the malformation.
Treatment options include:
- sclerotherapy to shrink the malformation
- immunosuppressant medication to reduce pain and slow the growth of abnormal lymphatic vessels
- surgery may be helpful to remove small, localized malformations completely without affecting surrounding structures