Clinical experience with the tunable pulsed-dye laser (585 nm) in the treatment of capillary vascular malformations.

A retrospective review of 134 patients who received laser therapy with the pulsed-dye laser at the 585-nm wavelength for capillary vascular malformations was conducted. These patients were treated over a 5-year period with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Ninety-five patients were available for evaluation of results. Thirty-nine were lost to follow-up. Each birthmark was described before and after treatment under a classification system developed by the authors. Results were reported by classification, age, anatomic location, and race. Excellent or good results were obtained in the majority of patients in all age groups and regardless of the color of the birthmark. All anatomic areas and all ethnic groups responded to treatment with varying degrees of success. A range of up to eight treatments was required to achieve resolution. Scarring was an infrequent complication (1.1 percent) of treatment. Hypopigmentation was seen in 3.2 percent of treated patients. The pulsed-dye laser (585 nm) offers promise to patients of all ages and hope to those who previously were not candidates for laser therapy.