The argon laser has been established as an effective modality in the treatment of port wine stain (PWS). Recent studies have suggested that argon laser therapy is beneficial in some, but not all, cases of PWS. To the best of our knowledge, there is no appropriate clinical classification of PWS that predicts the therapeutic responses to argon laser therapy. In this study 100 patients with PWS were classified into 3 clinical and histological groups and their responses to the argon laser examined. These patients were classified into 3 clinical groups, A, B, and C, prior to argon laser treatment. The skin eruption of type A was sharply bordered and intensively red with remarkable telangictasia. Histologically the superficial capillaries were filled with RBC’s. Type C showed a relatively defined border and less red exanthema with lack of telangiectasia and a deeper location of the undilated vessels. Type B was an intermediate type between A and C. The patients then received treatments with the Argon Laser Photo Coagulator System 1000 (Coherent). Each patient was treated identically, receiving 1.2 watts at a 1mm area with a pulse duration of 0.2 seconds. In 6 months or later, the patients were evaluated for the effectiveness of the treatment. The results were evaluated as excellent (total or almost complete blanching without scar), good (marked lightening without scar), fair (slight lightening without scar), and poor (scar or unchanged). The number of cases of type A was 28, type B, 38, and type C, 34. The results were excellent or good in type A, fair in type B, and poor in type C. In conclusion, PWS was classified into 3 groups according to the therapeutic responses to the argon laser.
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