[Laser treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions in childhood: prospective analysis of our experience with 95 children].
BACKGROUND
Recently the flashlamp-pumped dye laser has improved treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions results since this laser acts much more vessel specific than other laser (argon, Nd:Yag). The objective of this manuscript is to analyze our experience in the treatment of vascular lesions in infancy with the pulsed dye laser.


METHODS
Ninety-five patients 18 years with vascular lesions (85 nevus flammeus and 10 hemangiomas) were treated prospectively with the flashlamp-pumped dye laser. The patients received therapy until the lesion was almost clear, or until the lesion failed to respond. All patients were examined during the course of their treatment to assess the clinical evolution and the incidence of adverse effects associated with the use of the laser.


RESULTS
The study consisted of 54 females and 41 males ranged in age from 3 months to 18 years, with the average age being 7.3+/-5.2 years. Only six children were treated with less than six months of age. Seventy-eight vascular lesions were located on the face, nine on the neck, eight on the extremities, five on the trunk, and two on other regions (perineal area and scalp). The number of treatment sessions needed for the resolution of the cutaneous vascular lesion (in 52 nevus flammeus and 10 hemangiomas, at the moment) was 9.8+/-7.5 (range 1 to 36), with variations in relation to the type of vascular lesion (more sessions in nevus flammeus than hemangiomas) and their anatomical location (more sessions in the face and less in shoulder, arms and lips). The adverse effects were slights and transitories.


CONCLUSIONS
Laser therapy is useful and safe in the treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions in infancy. Major determinants of treatment response are type of cutaneous vascular lesion and location, and also size and patient's age.
Asín Llorca
M
M
Centro Clínico Dermatológico, Alicante.
González de Dios
J
J
Navarro Belmonte
M R
MR
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053685:Laser Therapy; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D019339:Port-Wine Stain / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000532:radiotherapy*