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A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected lymphatic malformation data base was performed that included 16 patients (5 males, 11 females; mean age, 15 years; range, 1=47 years). Patients with at least 1 microcystic lymphatic malformation component demonstrated on MR imaging treated by lymphographic-like technique bleomycin infusion were included in the study. Patient interviews and MR imaging were performed to assess subjective and objective clinical improvement (microcystic lymphatic malformation size decrease of >30%). The authors observed no major and 3 minor complications: 1 eyelid infection, 1 case of severe postprocedural nausea and vomiting, and 1 case of skin discoloration. MR imaging objective improvement was observed in 5/16 (31%) patients; overall improvement of clinical symptoms was obtained in 93% of treated patients. Bleomycin lymphographic-like technique for microcystic lymphatic malformations was safe and feasible with objective improvement in about one-third of patients.

The authors evaluated 60 patients with dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging before treatment. Median, mean intracellular water molecule lifetime, and volume transfer constant values from metastatic nodes were computed from each patient. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to associate mean intracellular water molecule lifetime and volume transfer constant and their combination with overall survival and beyond. Patients with high mean intracellular water molecule lifetime had overall survival significantly prolonged by 5 years compared with those with low mean intracellular water molecule lifetime. Patients with high mean intracellular water molecule lifetime had significantly longer overall survival at long-term duration than those with low mean intracellular water molecule lifetime. Volume transfer constant was a significant predictor for only the 5-year follow-up period. They conclude that a combined analysis of mean intracellular water molecule lifetime and volume transfer constant provided the best model to predict overall survival in patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.