title: Thickness of healthy and affected skin of children with port wine stains: potential repercussions on response to pulsed dye laser treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Response of port wine stain to pulsed dye laser therapy is variable and dependent on treatment settings used and anatomic site as well as on size and depth of ectatic vessels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to evaluate skin thickness in different anatomic areas and in port wine stain to thus assess its possible role in the response to pulsed dye laser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one children with port wine stain underwent high-frequency ultrasound evaluation (20 MHz). Eighteen unaffected areas were considered in each patient and an additional measure was taken from the symmetric affected skin when present (50 areas).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Skin was thicker in the centrofacial area, dermatome V1 (followed by dermatome V2, dermatome V3, and dermatomes C1-2), and with increasing age. No substantial difference between affected and symmetric nonaffected skin was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thicker cutaneous areas fit with those that typically respond worse to pulsed dye laser. Differences in skin thickness related to age support the fact that better responses are achieved in younger patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia, Spain. eduyame@meditex.es
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nagore
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Requena
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sevila
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.forename: Dolors
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Botella-Estrada
authors.forename: Onofre
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sanmartin
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Serra-Guillén
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guillén
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D019339:Port-Wine Stain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000528:radiation effects; D014463:Ultrasonography