An overview of clinical and experimental treatment modalities for port wine stains.
Port wine stains (PWS) are the most common vascular malformation of the skin, occurring in 0.3% to 0.5% of the population. Noninvasive laser irradiation with flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye lasers (selective photothermolysis) currently comprises the gold standard treatment of PWS; however, the majority of PWS fail to clear completely after selective photothermolysis. In this review, the clinically used PWS treatment modalities (pulsed dye lasers, alexandrite lasers, neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet lasers, and intense pulsed light) and techniques (combination approaches, multiple passes, and epidermal cooling) are discussed. Retrospective analysis of clinical studies published between 1990 and 2011 was performed to determine therapeutic efficacies for each clinically used modality/technique. In addition, factors that have resulted in the high degree of therapeutic recalcitrance are identified, and emerging experimental treatment strategies are addressed, including the use of photodynamic therapy, immunomodulators, angiogenesis inhibitors, hypobaric pressure, and site-specific pharmaco-laser therapy.
Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.
Jennifer K
JK
Chen
Pedram
P
Ghasri
Guillermo
G
Aguilar
Anne Margreet
AM
van Drooge
Albert
A
Wolkerstorfer
Kristen M
KM
Kelly
Michal
M
Heger
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019339:Port-Wine Stain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents