Argon laser treatment of head and neck vascular lesions

Port wine stains (PWSs), hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasias (HHTs), hemangiomas, arterial venous malformations (AVMs), vascular granulomas and polyps, glomus tumors, and nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are vascular lesions of the head and neck potentially responsive to treatment with the argon laser. One hundred consecutive patients with PWSs, 25 patients with HHTs, three with subglottic hemangiomas, three with oral and/or lingual hemangiomas, two with labial AVMs, three with vascular laryngeal polyps, and one patient with inoperable glomus tumor were treated with the argon laser. Results were good to excellent in 94% of the facial PWS patients. All treated patients in the HHT group demonstrated improvement. Results with the other lesions were variable. The argon laser is a valuable treatment modality in vascular lesions of the head and neck. Posttreatment scarring and failure to achieve desired results are complications encountered. Pretreatment counseling will assist the patient in understanding the expected results.