Prediction of portwine stain clearance and required number of flashlamp pumped pulsed dye laser treatments

Abstract

Our model suggests that individual prediction of treatment outcome and the required number of treatments is possible in an early stage of FPPDL treatment of PWS, in theory already after one single laser treatment.

The Role of Laser Speckle Imaging in Port-Wine Stain Research: Recent Advances and Opportunities

“…However, current treatment options have significant limitations in terms of efficacy and risk [23, 24]. When treated by PDL, PWS often become lighter in color, but patients typically require multiple treatments (15+ to obtain the optimal therapeutic result in terms of lesion fading [25]). When general anesthesia is used, treatments can cost upwards of $2000 per session.…”

A new mathematical approach to the diffusion approximation theory for selective photothermolysis modeling and its implication in laser treatment of port‐wine stains

“…Furthermore, for laser spot diameters larger than 5 mm, MC simulation [6] suggests that the photon distribution is within the beam area. Histology also showed [25] that thermal damage is indeed constrained within a cylindrical volume of which the base area is pw 2 (w, the beam radius), and the height is the perpendicular distance from the epidermis to the subcutis. In the diffusion approximation, the effective beam diameter of the diffuse light will be slightly larger (about 1 mean free path, i.e., 0.1 mm at 585 and 595-nm) than the geometrical diameter, but it is assumed to have negligible effect on the accuracy of the calculations.…”

Investigation into optimal treatment intervals of facial port-wine stains using the pulsed dye laser

“…Many factors influence the efficacy of laser treatment such as lesion size, 8,9 color, 10,11 localization, 10 hypertrophy, 12 or vessel architecture. 13 Lesions located on the periorbital area, lateral facial cheeks, chest, and proximal aspect of the arms respond best to treatment, whereas the malar areas of the face and distal limbs do not respond as well.…”