Effect of Pulsed Dye Laser on Photodynamic Therapy of Port-Wine Stains

Overview

Port-wine stain (PWS) is a congenital capillary malformation with an incidence of 3-5/1000 newborns and grows commensurately with the affected individual. Although PDL treatment can significantly lighten and reduce most PWS lesions, 20% of cases show little improvement after treatment. Our previous researches suggested that PDT may be a beneficial option for PWS cases that are resistant to multiple PDL treatments. In this study, a single center, prospective, parallelled, controlled study was conducted to compare the efficacy of PDT on PWS treated with standard PDL and those without any treatment.

Port-wine stain (PWS) is a congenital capillary malformation characterized by ectatic capillaries and postcapillary venules located predominantly in the papillary and mid-reticular layers of the dermis. It has an incidence of 3-5/1000 newborns and grows commensurately with the affected individual. Pulsed dye laser (PDL) of 585 and 595 nm is considered to be the gold standard for treating PWS. Although PDL treatment can significantly lighten and reduce most PWS lesions, 20% of cases show little improvement after treatment. This ratio therefore represents a relatively large number of patients who may benefit from an alternative treatment modality. Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used to treat PWS since the 1990s. In 1990, Orenstein et al. used a chicken comb model to show that PDT can treat hypervascular dermal lesions while leaving the normal overlying epidermis completely intact. The use of vascular-targeted PDT for treating PWS was first described in 1991. PDT can theoretically target ectatic capillaries of all diameters and, in contrast to PDL, can induce vascular damage deeper in the dermis, with a considerably reduced risk of epidermal necrosis due to its vascular-selective characteristics. Previous studies have also demonstrated that PDT is an effective and safe means of improving the appearance of PWS. Our previous researches suggested that PDT may be a beneficial option for PWS cases that are resistant to multiple PDL treatments.Therefore, the choice of early treatment for PWS is very important . The effect of PDL therapy on the follow-up photodynamic treatment of PWS unknown. In this study, a single center, prospective, parallelled, controlled study was conducted to compare the efficacy of PDT on PWS treated with standard PDL and those without any treatment. Our objectis to explore whether the previous PDL treatment will affect the efficacy of the follow-up PDT on PWS, so as to provide early treatment options for children with PWS.

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Central Contacts