Treatment of portwine stains using the pulsed dye laser

Five years of clinical experience of the treatment of portwine stains using the flashlamp-pumped dye laser is presented. The dye laser, when turned to a wavelength of 577 nanometres with a short pulsewidth of the order of 340 microseconds, may be used to target selectively the dilated vasculature constituting the lesion. Patients with ages ranging from 5-45 years were treated under general anaesthetic using a computer controlled scanning system developed by the authors. Several repeat treatments were found to be necessary. Results are presented ranging from total eradication of the lesion to marginal lightening only. No scarring of the treated sites was evident.