Photo Credit: Rabizo

Patients with skin of color may experience more AEs from sclerotherapy, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Medical student Michelle Lazar and colleagues characterized the incidence of common AEs following sclerotherapy in various Fitzpatrick skin types. The analysis included data from 134 patient visits for sclerotherapy (treated with 0.5% to 1% Polidocanol). The researchers identified 12 AEs across all visits, resulting in an 8.96% AE rate. AEs included blistering (n=6), post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH; n=5), induration (n=3), superficial thrombophlebitis (n=1), and ulcer (n=1). There was no evidence of acute deep venous thrombosis in Doppler ultrasound in the patient who experienced superficial thrombophlebitis. Overall, most of the AEs occurred in Fitzpatrick skin types of III or higher, while all PIH AEs occurred in patients with Fitzpatrick skin types of IV or higher. The authors concluded that sclerotherapy is safe, but patients with skin of color tended to experience PIH at higher rates than those with lighter skin tones.