Woo Wai Kit, Jasim Zaid F, Handley Julian M
Department of Dermatology, Ulster Hospital, Belfast, United Kingdom.
Dermatol Surg. 2004 Feb;30(2 Pt 1):158-62; discussion 162. doi: 10.1046/j.1076-0512.2003.30055.x.
Some port wine stains (PWSs), despite multiple treatments with the 585-nm 0.45-ms pulsed dye laser (PDL), fail to improve substantially.
To determine the efficacy and tolerability of variable pulse width 595-nm PDL and 532-nm Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of resistant PWS.
Twenty-two patients whose PWS failed to achieve more than 75% lightening after more than 15 treatments with the 585-nm 0.45-ms PDL were recruited. A homogenous patch of PWS was divided into five areas. Area 1 (control area) was treated with 585-nm, 0.45-ms PDL (fluence 7.5 J/cm2). Areas 2 and 3 were treated with 595-nm PDL at fluence 15 J/cm2 (with cryogen spray cooling) and pulse durations of 1.5 and 10 ms, respectively. Areas 4 and 5 were treated with a 532-nm Nd:YAG laser at 2 ms, 7 J/cm2 and 10 ms, 16 J/cm2, respectively (with a contact cooling tip). The response was assessed by photographic evaluation.
Three patients had further lightening in area 2, and two patients had further lightening in area 3. Each of three patients had further lightening in areas 4 and 5, respectively. One patient had further lightening in the control area.
In individual patients, it may be effective to treat resistant PWS with the variable-pulse width 595-nm PDL and the 532-nm Nd:YAG laser.
