Effectiveness of pulse dye laser in treatment of port-wine stain in iraqi population: a prospective study

BACKGROUND: Port-wine stain (PWS) is a capillary malformation that presents at birth as pink and erythematous patches, which usually become darker with time and potentially develop nodular thickening and hypertrophy. Pulsed dye laser (PDL) is the most used laser in the treatment of PWS. It works through selective photothermolysis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of PDL in treatment of PWS in Iraqi population.METHODS: From November 2019 to November 2022, 100 patients with PWS - of which 70 (70%) female and 30 (30%) male (age range was 1-55 years) - were treated with PDL in the Laser Department of a Private Clinic (every two sessions were separated by four weeks interval). Using the Physician Global Assessment, the clinical evaluation of the therapy response was carried out and each patient’s adverse responses were noted.RESULTS: According to the results of our three-year study, in a population of 70 (70%) female and 30 (30%) male with a number of sessions equal to 5-17, the physicians Global Assessment showed a cure success rate of 75% (75 patients), with a significant level of improvement of 20%, and moderate level of improvement in 5% of patients. There was no significant correlation between sex and response to treatment; however, there was a significant relation between the age and the effectiveness of treatment with PDL and a significant correlation between the number of session and effectivness of PDL, with a higher cure rate observed in more frequent treatment sessions. Regarding the site of the lesion, there was a significant correlation between the site of PWS and the response to treatment with PDL. Finally, scarring was creported as a complication in 17% of the patients.CONCLUSIONS: PDL proved to be safe and effective in the treatment of PWS in Iraqi populations.