Port-wine Stains: An Assessment of 5 Years of Treatment

Abstract

Treatment of PWS by flashlamp-pumped dye laser results in a good to complete response in most patients. Anatomical location of the lesion is a valuable prognostic indicator of response to treatment. The initially impressive results of flashlamp-pumped dye laser treatment of PWS may be tempered by the gradual return of the vascular lesion as time elapses after completion of therapy. Our experience indicates that PWS show a tendency to recur at a rate approaching 50% between 3 and 4 years after completion of treatment.