Recurrence of port-wine stains after treatment with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser

Objectives To assess the importance of the patient's age at the start of treatment of a port-wine stain (PWS) with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser (FPDL). Background FDPL treatment is safe and effective for PWSs, with a low risk of scarring and pigmentary changes. The degree of clearing of the lesion is, however, unpredictable, and the ideal time to start treatment has not yet been agreed. Patients/methods By means of a questionnaire, we investigated the frequency of recurrence in PWS in 147 patients after completion of treatment with the FPDL. Results In 24 patients (16.3%), partial redarkening of their PWS was observed. The patients who had a recurrence were not different from the group who did not regarding the colour of the PWS, the response to previous treatment or the frequency of side-effects. Children under 10 years of age did not show any PWS recurrence, at least in our group of patients. Conclusions The age at the beginning of treatment may have an influence on the recurrence rate.