Effect of early long-pulse pulsed dye laser treatment in infantile hemangiomas.

BACKGROUND

Despite several recent reports on the efficacy of long-pulse pulsed dye laser (LP-PDL) in treating infantile hemangiomas, controversy remains.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the beneficial effects of early therapeutic intervention with LP-PDL in superficial and mixed hemangiomas.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Clinical data from 40 children with 47 hemangiomas in preproliferative or proliferative phase treated with LP-PDL in a Korean tertiary hospital over 5 years were analyzed retrospectively. Treatments were repeated at 1- to 4-week intervals until growth stopped.

RESULTS

Of the 47 hemangiomas, 32 were superficial, and 15 were mixed at presentation. Age was 9.6 ± 5.9 weeks at initiation of treatment and 18.0 ± 8.6 weeks at completion, and a positive linear correlation existed between the two. There were a mean of 4.6 ± 2.6 treatments per hemangioma, which was lower in superficial than in mixed hemangiomas. Improvement in color was documented in 84.4% of superficial and 86.7% of mixed hemangiomas, and 75.0% of superficial and 66.7% of mixed shrank. Hyperpigmentation occurred in two superficial hemangiomas.

CONCLUSION

Early intervention in hemangiomas using LP-PDL successfully prevents further growth and accelerates a transition to plateau or involution phase with minimal adverse events, achieving good cosmetic outcomes.