A single-center retrospective study of a decade-long experience in managing pediatric lymphatic malformation

Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are rare pediatric conditions that present variable symptoms depending on lesion size and anatomical location, necessitating diverse treatment approaches. This study aims to characterize the clinical features and prognosis of LMs across different anatomical sites and to compare the therapeutic efficacy of various treatment modalities. A retrospective analysis was performed on 478 pediatric patients diagnosed with LMs at Beijing Children’s Hospital between January 2014 and December 2024. Data regarding patient demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and therapeutic outcomes were extracted and analyzed. The head and neck region was the most involved site (45.0%). Macrocysts were predominantly located in the pelvic/abdominal, mixed cysts in the head and neck, and microcysts in the trunk/extremities ( p < 0.01). The macrocystic subtype demonstrated the most favorable response across all therapeutic modalities ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, no statistically significant difference in effective rates was observed between surgery and sclerotherapy. Subtype distribution demonstrated distinct anatomic predilections. Surgery and sclerotherapy both achieve high effective rates when selected according to appropriate clinical indications. Macrocystic LMs appeared to have the best therapeutic outcomes.