Treatment of facial port-wine stains with a new intense pulsed light source in Chinese patients.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Intense pulsed light (IPL) systems have been used for the treatment of port-wine stains (PWS) for more than 10 years. Some of them have been reported in the treatment of laser-resistant PWS. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a prospective trial to assess the efficiency and complications of a new IPL source in the treatment of PWS in Chinese patients. METHODS: Thirty Chinese patients with PWS without previous treatment were recruited to receive IPL therapy for three to eight treatments at intervals of 4-5 weeks. There were 24 female and six male patients. RESULTS: One hundred percent of patients showed more than 25% clearance, and 30% of the patients were able to achieve more than 75% clearance. About 70% of patients experienced 25-75% clearance, among them 53.33% of patients experienced 50-75% clearance. There were no long-term complications or side effects. CONCLUSION: The new IPL system can be safely used in treating PWS in Chinese patients of skin type IV.