Results and tissue healing after copper-vapour laser (at 578 nm) treatment of port wine stains and facial telangiectasias

Abstract

Twenty-four patients with port wine stains (PWS), and 33 patients with facial telangiectasias were treated with a copper-vapour laser (CVL) operating at 578 nm. Good to excellent results were obtained in 52% of PWS and 69% of facial telangiectasias. Enzyme histochemistry revealed vessel-selective damage with energy densities up to 12 J/cm2, but a non-specific coagulation necrosis with higher fluences (> or = 15 J/cm2). With vessel-selective fluences only moderate blanching was obtained in two PWS. All other evaluated patients were treated using non-selective energy densities. Tissue healing was comparable with that after argon laser treatment. The theoretically correct wavelength (578 nm) alone appeared to be no guarantee of vessel-selective damage. The laser employed lacked adequate power (only 1.3 W maximum) to transmit sufficient energy into the tissues in a short exposure time. However, the clinical results confirm the value of the CVL in the treatment of superficial cutaneous angiodysplasias.