Nitrous oxide cryotherapy for the management of benign lesions of the oral cavity

Background: Cryotherapy is the deliberate destruction of tissue by the application of extreme cold, and has been indicated as a treatment modality for the management of commonly occurring benign oral pathologies. The aim of this study was to investigate treatment protocol parameters and effectiveness of a closed cryotherapy system for the management of oral mucoceles and vascular malformations. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data collected from a specialist oral medicine clinic referred for treatment of oral mucoceles or vascular malformations. Data was analyzed to determine lesion characteristics, treatment parameters, and clinical effectiveness of a closed cryotherapy system. Results: The closed cryotherapy system achieved 100% success rate in lesion resolution. For both pathologies, increased lesion diameter was related to increased number of cryotherapy appointments, increased number of freeze cycles, and increased cumulative freeze time. 95% of vascular malformations and 83.34% of mucoceles resolved with no signs of post-operative complication, and patients did not report postoperative pain. Conclusions: Cryotherapy is an excellent treatment option for benign lesion management. It is minimally invasive, causes minimal discomfort, and has a high rate of clinical success.