[Nevus flammeus in small children treated pulsed dye laser].

We report the results of treating 30 children less than 7.5 years old for port wine stains of the face and neck using pulsed dye laser with a wave length of 585 nm. The children were given a general anaesthetic. In five children the stains disappeared completely and in 21 there was marked improvement (> 75% lighter). The younger age group, 7 months to 4 years, required fewer treatment sessions (mean 3.7) than the older age group, 4 to 7 years (mean 5.1 sessions), indicating the benefit of early treatment. No side effects were seen except for transient hyperpigmentation.