An intense light source. The photoderm VL-flashlamp as a new treatment possibility for vascular skin lesions.
BACKGROUND
Up to now, vascular diseases were treated with various lasers, such as argon, pulsed dye, and copper vapor lasers, which can lead to side effects like hypopigmentations, hyperpigmentations, and scarring. We treated patients with vascular lesions with an incoherent intense light source, the PhotoDerm VL-flashlamp.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to test the effectiveness and safety of the PhotoDerm VL for vascular skin lesions.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty patients with facial or leg telangiectasias, spider nevi, erythrosis interfollicularis, and senile angiomas were treated with the PhotoDerm VL.


RESULTS
In 73.6% of patients there was an immediate clearing, and in 84.3% a clearing after 1 month was found of leg telangiectasias up to 1 mm in diameter. Facial telangiectasias and erythrosis interfollicularis colli showed clearance up to 90%. Spider nevi and senile angiomas often only needed to be treated once.


CONCLUSIONS
From our experience we conclude that the PhotoDerm VL is an excellent device to treat vascular lesions as there were hardly any side effects seen, however, the user needs a sufficient experience to get good results.
Department of Lasertherapy, Medical Centre Maastricht, The Netherlands.
C A
CA
Schroeter
H A
HA
Neumann
D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004867:Equipment Design; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D017495:Hyperpigmentation / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017496:Hypopigmentation / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D007834:Lasers; D007868:Leg Dermatoses / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D010859:Pigmentation Disorders / Q000601:surgery; D012074:Remission Induction; D012449:Safety; D017445:Skin Diseases, Vascular / Q000601:surgery*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery