Laser treatment of port-wine stains and hemangiomas

The laser was originally introduced to dermatology and plastic surgery through its application in treating port-wine stains. Indeed, its early development and medical application coincided with its increasing ability to treat cutaneous vascular lesions effectively. Many of the current therapeutic advances in laser use are based on lessons obtained from vascular lesion laser experience. This information is reviewed in this article, and current laser therapeutic approaches for the treatment of port-wine stains and hemangiomas are presented and evaluated.