Successful treatment of two pediatric port wine stains in darker skin types using 595 nm laser

Efficacy and safety of 595-nm pulsed dye laser treating port wine stains in Vietnamese patients: analysis of 124 cases and optimal treatment regimens

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of 595-nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) for port wine stains (PWS) treatment in Vietnamese patients. The study also analyzed the association between the response to treatment and the characteristics of patients and treatment regimens. Parallelly, the study contributed to further optimal treatment sessions for different subjects based on the data collected. One hundred twenty-five patients who underwent 595-nm PDL to treat PWS were included in the study, in which data from 124 patients was retrospectively analyzed. Data on demographic characteristics of patients, treatment regimens, and clinical improvement were collected. SPSS version 25 was used to analyze the relationship between associated factors and the response rate. The overall response rate of Vietnamese patients who had Fitzpatrick skin classification type III and IV was 73.4%. Age, gender, treatment sessions, and lesion positions were generally not associated with the response rate. The lesion grade was the sole element that affected the clinical improvement. The lesion grade 1 had the best response (100%) even after a short duration of treatment (six to ten treatments). Lesion grade 4 demanded over 16 treatments to reach > 60% of improvement. The lesion grades 1 and 2 could be blanched with regimen < 10 treatments while regimens exceeding 15 treatments should be carefully considered for lesions at grade 3 after evaluating associated conditions. Lesions at grade 4 demanded ≥ 16 treatments to reach acceptable outcomes. These results could help physicians establish a reasonable treatment strategy for patients.

A review of treatment of port-wine stains with pulsed dye laser in fitzpatrick skin type IV-VI

Port-Wine Stains are a congenital vascular malformation that affect 0.3-0.5% of newborns. It is a benign capillary malformation that commonly occurs on the head and neck. It is formed by progressive dilation of the post-capillary venules, and as the patient ages it may be associated with hypertrophy and nodularity which can lead to cosmetic disfigurement and psychological aggravation. There are many choices of treatment such as cryosurgery, cosmetic tattooing, and dermabrasion, amongst others. The treatment of choice is pulse dye laser (PDL) because it is both effective and safe to use. In darker skin types (Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI), treatment is more difficult. Caution when treating darker skin types with PDL comes from the fact that there is an inverse correlation between vessel specificity of the PDL and skin pigmentation. In this review, we will be reviewing the literature and discussing the manuscripts that describe the treatment of PWS on patients with fitzpatrick skin type IV-VI. Authors searched the PubMed Medline in the English language from database inception through December 2022 for eligible articles. The keywords searched included "PDL," "pulse dye laser," "skin of color," "Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI," "fitzpatrick," "pigmented skin," "Port-wine stain," "PWS", and "pulse dye laser." The articles that were included discussed PDL in the treatment of PWS in patients of skin of color. Any additional similar articles that were cited in our search were also included. Articles that were excluded did not discuss Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI, darker skin type, or PDL. Data collected from each article included the number of participants, Fitzpatrick skin type, age, and laser parameters. There were 120 articles that were reviewed from our search and a total of nine articles met inclusion criteria with 241 patients that were considered Fitzpatrick skin type IV-VI. The patients were of a wide range of ages from 1 month to 74 years old. In our review, patients who are treated at a younger age had better results than when treated at an older age. The results show that darker skin individuals have better results when treated at a younger age compared to adults, they can experience complete resolution. Adults who were treated saw a variation of results, from improvements in the appearance to hyperpigmentation/hypopigmentation or scarring of the treated area. Patients who are Fitzpatrick skin type IV-VI are at higher risk of adverse events when treated with PDL for PWS when compared to patients of other skin types. Studies show that PDL can be beneficial for PWS in patients of skin of color; however, there are risks of hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, and scarring that are important to take into consideration when treating these patients. Further research is warranted to improve the understanding of PDL for PWS in patients of skin of color.

A Review of Laser Therapies for the Treatment of Scarring and Vascular Anomalies

Significance: Laser use has become part of the gold standard of treatment as an effective adjuvant in multimodal therapy for pathologic scarring caused by burns, trauma, acne, and surgery, as well as vascular anomalies. Understanding indications and applications for laser therapy is essential for physicians to improve patient outcomes. Recent Advances: Since the 1980s, the medical use of lasers has continuously evolved with improvements in technology. Novel lasers and fractionated technologies are currently being studied in the hopes to improve treatment efficacy, while reducing complications. Recent advancements include acne treatment with novel picosecond lasers, new hypertrophic scar therapies with simultaneous laser and intense pulsed light use, and novel systems such as lasers with intralesional optical fiber delivery devices. In addition, optimizing the timing of laser therapy and its use in multimodal treatments continue to advance the field of photothermolysis. Critical Issues: Selecting the correct laser for a given indication is the fundamental decision when choosing a laser balancing effective treatment with minimal complications. This article covers the principles of laser therapy, the preferred lasers used for the treatment of scarring and vascular anomalies, and discusses the current evidence behind these laser choices. Future Directions: To optimize laser therapy, larger randomized control trials and split scar studies are needed. Continued advancement through better randomized controlled studies will help to improve patient outcomes on a broader scale.

Therapeutic Strategies for Untreated Capillary Malformations of the Head and Neck Region: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

Background

Capillary malformations of the head and neck region often cause psychological and physical burden. As the effectiveness of modern laser and light therapies is still suboptimal, patients often seek different therapeutic strategies. Other recognized, but not routinely proposed therapies include cosmetic camouflage, surgery, and medical tattooing. Information on therapeutic outcomes is currently lacking for patients to adequately participate in the treatment decision-making process.

Objective

The objective of this systematic review was to review the effectiveness and safety of recognized therapies for untreated capillary malformations of the head and neck: laser and light treatment modalities, photodynamic therapy, cosmetic camouflage, medical tattooing, and surgery.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up to 16 December, 2020 for observational and experimental studies examining recognized therapies for untreated capillary malformations of the head and neck. Two reviewers independently evaluated the risk of bias of included studies. Predefined treatment and safety outcomes of pooled data were scored using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).

Results

We included 48 observational and three randomized studies (totaling 3068 patients), evaluating nine different therapies. No studies on surgery or cosmetic camouflage matched our inclusion criteria. The pooled proportion of patients reaching a ≥75% clearance was 43% (95% confidence interval 24–64%; I² = 55%) for the pulsed dye laser after three to eight treatment sessions (GRADE score: very low). Other therapies were less effective. Hyperpigmentation was most frequently described after the pulsed dye laser (incidences up to 40%). Pain was most common after photodynamic therapy, yet the intensity was unreported. Substantial heterogeneity among studies as to patient characteristics and outcomes limited pooling and data comparisons.

Conclusions

The pulsed dye laser seems preferable for treatment-naive capillary malformations of the head and neck region, yet demonstrates greater hyperpigmentation rates compared with other therapies. Our results are, however, based on low-quality evidence. Future studies using uniform outcome measures and validated metrics are warranted for study comparability. Based on this systematic review, clinicians and patients should be aware of the limited evidence about the available options when making (shared) treatment decisions for capillary malformations.

Trial Registration

Review registration number PROSPERO database: CRD42020199445.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40257-021-00616-5.

Cutaneous vascular lesions in the pediatric population: a review of laser surgery applications and lesion-specific device parameters

Laser surgery is becoming an increasingly efficacious and customizable treatment modality for the management of pediatric vascular lesions. Proper use requires a thorough understanding of the scientific principles of laser surgery and knowledge of the various lasers available. Moreover, each laser has a multitude of settings that can be employed to properly target the lesion at hand. Each patient will present with unique challenges and variations in the presentation of their vascular lesion. This requires understanding of the most effective laser to use for each lesion and the factors that may alter the desired device settings. Using key search terms, a literature search was conducted on laser surgery for pediatric vascular lesions using PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase for articles published in English or French. Ultimately, 52 articles met our search criteria. The laser indications, limitations, and settings utilized for each type of vascular lesion were compiled for the purposes of this summative review. Laser surgery is an effective and appropriate option for the treatment of certain pediatric vascular lesions. Knowledge of optimal device parameters in every setting is essential to good clinical practice.

Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment of Port-Wine Stains in Infancy Without the Need for General Anesthesia

Importance

Recent concerns regarding repetitive use of general anesthesia in children younger than 3 years have placed greater importance on the controversy surrounding the timing of the initiation of port-wine stain (PWS) laser treatment.

Objective

To evaluate the use of PWS treatments at the age of 1 year or younger in the office setting without general anesthesia.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Retrospective cohort study based on medical record reviews at a single, high-volume laser center for children who started pulsed dye laser treatment at the age of 1 year or younger for their PWS between 2000 and 2017. The data cutoff was at 1 year after the initial treatment to have comparable data points.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was improvement of PWSs using before and after photographs, which were reviewed by 4 physicians independently and graded using the following 5-point visual analog scale (VAS): poor (grade 1: 0%-25% improvement), fair (grade 2: 26%-50% improvement), good (grade 3: 51%-75% improvement), excellent (grade 4: 76%-99% improvement), and complete (grade 5: 100% improvement) clearance.

Results

Of the 197 patients (73 [37.1%] boys; 124 [62.9%] girls), most (149 [75.6%]) had facial lesions. The mean age at the time of first treatment was 3.38 months (range, 5-355 days) and the mean number of treatments was 9.8 (range, 2-23; median, 10). Per the mean physician VAS grading of 197 patients, 51 patients (25.9%) showed 100% clearance (mean [range] VAS score of 4.78 [4.5 - 5]); 81 patients (41.1%) showed 76 to 99% improvement (mean [range] VAS score of 3.91 [3.5 to <4.5]); 44 patients (22.3%) showed 51% to 75% improvement (mean [range] VAS score of 2.86 [2.5 to <3.5]); 13 patients (6.6%) showed 26% to 50% improvement (mean [range] VAS score of 2.12 [1.5 to <2.5]); and 8 patients (4.1%) showed 0 to 25% improvement (mean [range] VAS score of 0.78 [0 to <1.5]). The presence of a V1 (first branch of the trigeminal nerve [ophthalmic nerve]) lesion was associated with a statistically significantly higher clearance rate by a VAS grade of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.25-0.84; P < .001). The mean (SD) VAS grade for all patients was 3.65 (1.26), corresponding to excellent clearance. None of the patients experienced scarring or permanent pigmentary change.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, treatment of PWSs in infancy was both safe and effective. Early intervention allows for treatment without general anesthesia, maximizing the chance to achieve clearance before school age and thereby minimizing the negative outcome of PWSs for both the patient and the family.

Laser assisted tattoo removal – state of the art and new developments

Decorative tattoos including permanent make-up are very popular world-wide. As the trend for tattoo acquisition increases, the demand for tattoo removal will similarly rise. This article highlights the state of the art and new developments in laser assisted tattoo removal.