Complications of sclerotherapy.

Sclerotherapy is the systematic, targeted elimination of intracutaneous and subcutaneous varicose, reticular, telangiectasias by the injection of a locally irritating chemical substance, called a sclerosant. The endpoint of this process is functionally analogous to surgical removal of a vein. However, regardless of the best of intentions, complications can and will occur with enough sclerotherapy treatments. Complications resulting from sclerotherapy can be divided into the following categories for ease of explanation: (1) frequent but transient, (2) rare but self-limited, and (3) rare but major. This article will focus on select complications in sclerotherapy, review the most common complications observed, and discuss how to minimize these in daily practice.