Comparison of pulsed dye laser (PDL) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) for treatment of facial port-wine stain (PWS) birthmarks in pediatric patients.

Background: Vascular-acting photodynamic therapy (PDT) might be an alternative approach for treating port wine stain (PWS) birthmarks, but the usefulness of PDT for pediatric patients has not been fully investigated.

Study Design: Medical records of pediatric patients (3-10 years old) with red and purple facial PWS were analyzed. Clinical outcomes after one session of PDL (585 nm, 4.8-6.5 J/cm(2)) and PDT (Hemoporfin - 3.5mg/kg, copper vapour laser - 120 J/cm(2)) were compared.

Results: The rate of excellent response in PDT group was significantly higher than that in PDL group (25.0% vs 10.9%). For red lesions there was no significant difference in overall response between PDL and PDT group, but for purple lesions the overall response rate of PDT group was significantly higher than that of PDL group (93.0% vs 75.6%). Lesions located at the forehead, cheek and jaw regions showed better responses to PDT. Incidences of pigmentation and scar formation in PDT group were significantly lower than PDL group (8.3% vs 21.1%).

Conclusion: This study suggests that PDT is safe and effective for treating facial PWS of childhood patients.