Crutchfield Dermatology - Laser Port Wine Stain Removal

Crutchfield Dermatology
1185 Town Centre Drive Suite 101 Eagan, MN 55123

Call for appointment: 651.209.3600 Fax: 651.209.3601

At Crutchfield Dermatology we can effectively treat all vascular lesions. Dr. Crutchfield is a skilled laser surgeon, having performed over 4,000 laser surgeies. Let us design a laser treatment program that is just right for you.

Port Wine Stains
A port-wine stain is a vascular birthmark consisting of superficial and deep dilated capillaries in the skin which produce a reddish to purplish discoloration of the skin.

Port-wine stains (PWS) are present at birth. The incidence is 3 out of 1,000 people. Port-wine stains occur most often on the face but can appear anywhere on the body. Early stains are usually flat and pink in appearance. As the child matures, the color may deepen to a dark red or purplish color. Older stains may be more difficult to treat and hypertrophy (increased tissue mass) of the stains may occasionally produce deformity and increasing disfigurement as the patient becomes older.

The presence of PWS can cause emotional and social problems for the affected person because of their cosmetic appearance. Port-wine stains that involve the upper and lower lids (trigeminal distribution) may be associated with the development of glaucoma.

PWS may be one of a group of symptoms and signs in which case it is considered to be part of a syndrome such as Sturge-Weber syndrome or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome.

In summary:

* lesion is usually present at birth
* newborn infant with a flat pink to purplish lesion on skin
* most commonly seen on face and neck (but may occur on trunk or extremities)
* older child with a slightly more reddish to purplish lesion, flat to slightly raised
* adult with darkly red to purplish lesion
* may hypertrophy if not treated
* causes social problems
* best treated with the vascular lesion laser (V-beam) and othe standard pulse-dye lasers by a skilled laser surgeon.

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