Port Wine Satin (PWS)

Question 1

Cause of Port Wine Stain?

Answer 1

-Congential
-Abnormal formation of blood vessels.
-Constant dilation of blood vessel under your skin which gives of persistent reddish-purple discolouration.

-vessels stay open and don’t shrink like they normally would = red-purple discolouration

Question 2

Why does it happen? (Pathophysiology)

Answer 2

Capillary endothelial cells (walls of blood vessels) fail to mature properly in the superficial dermis = leading to permanent dilation of blood vessels

Question 3

Treatment plan for Port Wine Stain?

Answer 3

• 1st line: Pulse dye lasers (yellow light 585-595nm): superficial lesions (FITZ 1-3)
• con: only able to treat sperficial due to too short of wavelength
• 2nd line: if resistant to PDL and lesion is deeper; Alexandrite 755nm
• Hypertrophic, nodular PWS, deep vessels, thick and deep vessels; Nd:YAG (FITZ 4-6) (long pulse- allow heat to diffuse and coagulate the blood without rupturing the vessel)

Question 4

Clinical features?

Answer 4

Red-purple, flat macular lesions, darkens when aged

Question 5

Clinical endpoint?

Answer 5

Mild-moderate oedema
Purpura (purple patches) and turn dark