title: A prospective study of the impact of laser treatment on vascular lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular lesions, especially on exposed sites, can be unsightly and may cause significant psychological distress. Lasers are effective in treating such lesions, but relatively few studies have been performed looking at psychological scoring before and after laser therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the change in psychological distress in patients with vascular lesions following laser treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was performed with patients recruited over a 3-month period. Psychological distress was measured using subjective scores on a standard questionnaire before treatment and at a 6-month follow-up. Each patient was treated every 4-8 weeks with an appropriate laser by the same dermatologist until discharge. Forty-two patients were recruited with one of four diagnoses: telangiectasia, port wine stain (PWS), vascular spider or cherry angioma, which occurred mainly on facial or exposed sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following laser treatment, there was a significant decrease in subjective scores of patients with telangiectasia and vascular spiders. Patients with PWS showed objective improvement but this was not reflected in their subjective scores. Psychological distress had reduced significantly in patients with less severe vascular lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laser treatment of minor vascular lesions leads to objective improvement, which is paralleled by psychological benefit, but objective benefit in PWS may not be perceived as beneficial by patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Southern General Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF, U.K.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bilsland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019339:Port-Wine Stain / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017445:Skin Diseases, Vascular / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome