Treatment of port-wine stains during childhood with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser.

Seventy-three patients between the ages of 3 months to 14 years (average age 6 years 2 months) with port-wine stains were treated with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser. More than 75% lightening was achieved with an average of 2.5 treatments in 33 patients (45%), 50% to 74% lightening after an average of 1.7 treatments in 31 (42%), 26% to 49% lightening after 2 treatments in 5 (7%), and less than 25% lightening after 1 treatment in 4 (5%). The overall average lightening after one treatment was 53%. The percentage of lightening increased as the number of treatments increased. Three patients had 100% clearance of the port-wine stain. Patients aged between 3 months and 6 years (44 patients) had a better response after the first treatment (55% lightening) than did patients aged between 7 and 14 years (29 patients with a 48% lightening; p = 0.027). Complications included cutaneous depressions in four patients, hyperpigmentation in 16 patients, and hypopigmentation in three patients. All complications were transient and disappeared completely.