[Selection of various types of lasers in the treatment of surface and deep vascular anomalies]

Laser therapy can be used to great advantage in the treatment of haemangiomas in childhood in specially selected cases. We were able to collect experiences in 101 children and to utilise both the coagulation effect for percutaneous induction of regression and the cutting effect in the resection of haemangiomas at the body surface and the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Among the commercially available laser equipment we would prefer the argon laser for intracutaneous lesions (naevi teleangiectatici, spider naevi, plane haemangiomas), whereas for the cavernous or planotuberous or tuberonodous haemangiomas it is better to use the neodym-YAG laser. Patients must be very carefully selected and selection must be restricted to haemangiomas with complications. Treatment via neodym-YAG laser must be complemented by protecting the skin against cold, by compressing the angiomas and by an appropriate after treatment.