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Updated: May 20, 2026
Dual-mode Imaging of Cutaneous Tissue Oxygenation and Vascular Function
Published on: December 8, 2010
Noninvasive clinical assessment of port-wine stain birthmarks using current and future optical imaging technology: a
S A Sharif1, E Taydas, A Mazhar
1Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, CA 92612, USA. sharifs@uci.edu
Abstract:
Port-wine stain (PWS) birthmarks are one class of benign congenital vascular malformation. Laser therapy is the most successful treatment modality of PWS. Unfortunately, this approach has limited efficacy, with only 10% of patients experiencing complete blanching of the PWS. To address this problem, several research groups have developed technologies and methods designed to study treatment outcome and improve treatment efficacy. This article reviews seven optical imaging techniques currently in use or under development to assess treatment efficacy, focusing on: reflectance spectrophotometers/tristimulus colorimeters; laser Doppler flowmetry and laser Doppler imaging; cross-polarized diffuse reflectance colour imaging system; reflectance confocal microscopy; optical coherence tomography; spatial frequency domain imaging; and laser speckle imaging.
