Retrospective single center study of the efficacy of large spot 532 nm laser for the treatment of facial capillary malformations in 44 patients with the use of three‐dimensional image analysis

• Published in: Lasers in surgery and medicine 2017-10, Vol.49 (8), p.743-749
• Main Authors: Kwiek, Bartłomiej, Rożalski, Michał, Kowalewski, Cezary, Ambroziak, Marcin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 532 nm; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Capillaries - abnormalities; Capillaries - diagnostic imaging; Capillaries - surgery; capillary malformation; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; KTP; Lasers, Solid-State - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Nd:YAG; Port-Wine Stain - diagnostic imaging; Port-Wine Stain - surgery; port‐wine stain; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Malformations - diagnostic imaging; Vascular Malformations - surgery; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0196-8092; 1096-9101
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.22681

Objective We wanted to asses the efficacy of large spot 532 nm laser for the treatment of facial capillary malformations with the use of three‐dimensional (3D) image analysis. Study Design and Methods Retrospective single center study on previously non‐treated patients with facial capillary malformations (CM) was performed. A total of 44 consecutive Caucasian patients aged 5–66 were included. Patients had 3D photography performed before and after and had at least one single session of treatment with 532 nm neodymium‐doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser with contact cooling, fluencies ranging from 8 to 11.5 J/cm2, pulse duration ranging from 5 to 9 milliseconds and spot size ranging from 5 to 10 mm. Objective analysis of percentage improvement based on 3D digital assessment of combined color and area improvement (global clearance effect [GCE]) were performed. Results Median maximal improvement achieved during the treatment (GCEmax) was 70.4%. Mean number of laser procedures required to achieve this improvement was 7.1 (ranging from 2 to 14)). Improvement of minimum 25% (GCE 25) was achieved by all patients, of minimum 50% (GCE 50) by 77.3%, of minimum 75% (GCE 75) by 38.6%, and of minimum 90% (GCE 90) by 13.64. Conclusion Large spot 532 nm laser is highly effective in the treatment of facial CM. 3D color and area image analysis provides an objective method to compare different methods of facial CM treatment in future studies. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:743–749, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.