Redarkening of port-wine stains 10 years after pulsed-dye-laser treatment.
BACKGROUND
Although pulsed-dye-laser therapy is currently the gold standard for the treatment of port-wine stains, few objective data are available on its long-term efficacy. Using objective color measurements, we performed a 10-year follow-up of a previously conducted prospective clinical study of the treatment of port-wine stains with a pulsed-dye laser.


METHODS
We invited the patients to undergo repeated color measurements performed by the same procedures as in the previous study. The results at long-term follow-up were compared with color measurements obtained before treatment and after completion of an average of five laser treatments of the complete port-wine stain. A questionnaire was used to investigate patients' satisfaction with the treatment and their perception of long-term changes in the stain.


RESULTS
Of the 89 patients from whom color measurements were obtained in the previous study, 51 were included in this study. The patients had received a median of seven additional treatment sessions since the last color measurement, which had been made after an average of five treatments. The median length of follow-up was 9.5 years. On average, the stain when measured at follow-up was significantly darker than it was when measured after the last of the initial five laser treatments (P=0.001), but it was still significantly lighter than it was when measured before treatment (P<0.001). Fifty-nine percent of patients were satisfied with the overall treatment result. Six percent of patients reported that the stain had become lighter since their last treatment, 59% that it was unchanged, and 35% that it had become darker.


CONCLUSIONS
Using objective color measurements, we observed significant redarkening of port-wine stains at long-term follow-up after pulsed-dye-laser therapy. Patients should be informed about the possibility of redarkening before beginning treatment.
Huikeshoven
Menno
M
Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.huikeshoven@amc.uva.nl
Koster
Petra H L
PH
de Borgie
Corianne A J M
CA
Beek
Johan F
JF
van Gemert
Martin J C
MJ
van der Horst
Chantal M A M
CM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019339:Port-Wine Stain / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires