RESULTS
This study included 26 patients (10 males, 38.5%; 16 females, 61.53%).
Patients ranged in age from 19–77, and the average age was 54.73 ±
14.44 years. The presenting symptoms of the 26 cases were studied, and
the occurrence rates were arranged from high to low. These symptoms
included a globus sensation, blood-stained sputum, hemoptysis,
pharyngalgia, and no symptoms at all.
Between the 26 patients, 29 operations were performed and three patients
underwent two procedures. Of the 29 cases, nine were treated with ALH
excision and 20 were treated with bleomycin injections. All the
surgeries in both groups were successful. No serious side effects, such
as tumor ruptures and ulcers, occurred. Any mild bleeding could be
controlled by gargling with ice-cold water.
The difference of classification (including capillary and cavernous)
between the two groups was not significant. The size of the ALHs was not
significantly different between the two groups based on
contrast-enhanced CT. Because the data relating to ALH size had skewed
distribution, the data was squared after logarithmic processing. After
the data conversion, the data had a normal distribution and was analyzed
using a t-test. We found the size of the ALHs was not significantly
different between the two groups based on contrast-enhanced CT.
Furthermore, no difference was found in the results in terms of gender,
age, ALH size, classification and ALH location in the two groups (Table
1).
All the patients in the ALH excision
group were cured and experienced no recurrence. The mean lumen
constriction score in the chemotherapy group was 2.95. The score in the
ALH excision group was higher than in the chemotherapy group according
to a Mann–Whitney U test (Table1; Figure 2). Side effects such as
alopecia, tumor ruptures, ulcers, and pulmonary fibrosis were not
observed in this study.
In our study, three patients were treated twice. One patient was treated
by CO2 excision after the bleomycin injection was
unsuccessful. Two patients were treated with bleomycin injections again
after the first bleomycin injection (Figure 3).