What is a Port Wine Stain?
Port Wine Stain (PWS) vascular capillary malformation birthmarks vary from light pink to deep purple, caused by an overabundance of capillaries just beneath the surface of the skin. . The marks can be minimal to very extensive, covering 50% or more of the body. It is thought that a PWS develops within the first 2-8 weeks of gestation. One million Americans have a PWS with varying degrees of involvement. Left untreated, a PWS can thicken and become nodular, leading to complications including bleeding. However, many treatments are now available, and improvements in understanding are occurring rapidly. Some of the options for PWS are: laser treatment, cosmetic cover-up; and excision utilizing tissue expansion. Laser treatment technologies include various pulsed dye lasers (including sclerolaser and v-beam) as well as pulsed light sources (photo-derm) and green light lasers, coherent, and versa pulse. Depending on the age of the patient and the location and extent of the treatment area, th
