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Review
. 2015 Jan 12:8:27-33.
doi: 10.2147/CCID.S53118. eCollection 2015.

Laser treatment of port-wine stains

Lori A Brightman  1 , Roy G Geronemus  1 , Kavitha K Reddy  2
Affiliations
Review

Laser treatment of port-wine stains

Lori A Brightman et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. .

Abstract

Port-wine stains are a type of capillary malformation affecting 0.3% to 0.5% of the population. Port-wine stains present at birth as pink to erythematous patches on the skin and/or mucosa. Without treatment, the patches typically darken with age and may eventually develop nodular thickening or associated pyogenic granuloma. Laser and light treatments provide improvement through selective destruction of vasculature. A variety of vascular-selective lasers may be employed, with the pulsed dye laser being the most common and well studied. Early treatment produces more optimal results. Advances in imaging and laser treatment technologies demonstrate potential to further improve clinical outcomes.

Keywords: capillary vascular malformation; intense pulsed light; laser; photodynamic therapy; port-wine stain; selective photothermolysis; vascular birthmark.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An untreated facial capillary malformation (port-wine stain) in a 60-year-old man who presented with a complaint of progressive darkening and development of nodularity in his adult years.
Figure 2
Figure 2
An adult woman with a previously untreated capillary malformation at the left temple that had developed darkening and nodularity. Notes: The capillary malformation is shown before treatment (A) and with excellent improvement after two sessions of pulsed dye laser (B).
Figure 3
Figure 3
A previously untreated capillary malformation (port-wine stain) at the right thigh. Notes: The capillary malformation is shown before treatment (A) and after one session of 532 nm potassium titanyl phosphate laser treatment (B). Area C is an untreated control; quadrants 1–4 were treated at 6–9 J/cm, 6–8 mm, 3–4 ms, with 5°C sapphire contact cooling. Scars are present at biopsy sites.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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