The Assessment of Port Wine Stains in Children Following Multiple Pulsed-Dye Laser Treatments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare 3 methods of assessment of pediatric port wine stains (PWSs) following multiple pulsed-dye laser (PDL) treatments; (i) parental evaluation, (ii) objective evaluation utilizing L*a*b* color measurement, and (iii) the visual inspection of serial photographs by blinded observers. Twenty-one children who had received at least 4 prior PDL treatments were prospectively enrolled. Following additional PDL treatment, 72.5% of the parental responses indicated a lighter PWS; 85% said that they would continue with further treatment. According to the assessments by 3 observers, only 33.3% to 61.9% (correlation coefficients: 0.41 and 0.54; P < 0.01) of the PDL treatments resulted in a perceived lightening. L*a*b* measurements were not significantly correlated with the observers' perceptions. L*a*b* assessment is not a clinically useful method to evaluate PDL response in the PWS previously treated. Relying solely on parental assessment may lead to overtreatment without a demonstrable benefit.