Consensus Statement on Pulsed-Dye Laser Treatment for Port-Wine Birthmarks
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Overview:
A port wine birthmark (PWB) is an area of skin that is genetically different from the rest of the skin and programmed to grow extra blood vessels. The presence of these extra vessels causes the skin to appear pink, red or purple. Many thicken and darken with age and develop bleeding bumps. Overgrowth of underlying tissues may cause functional impairment and disfigurement. The gold standard treatment for PWB remains pulsed dye laser (PDL). There is no consensus as to which lesions should be treated and at what age, the frequency and setting of treatments, pre and post-operative care or which settings to use. We would like to ask experienced experts in using PDL to treat PWB about their personal practices. We plan to do multiple rounds of surveys during which we develop some consensus regarding these questions.
Status:
This was funded through a 2024 PeDRA Consensus Guidelines Grant.