Novel Treatment for Port Wine Stain Birthmarks

Port wine stains Birthmark are congenital, progressive vascular malformations of the skin that occur in approximately 0.7% of newborns. Approximately 1.5 million individuals in the United States and 32 million people worldwide have Port wine stains birthmarks. Two-thirds of these malformations occur on the face. Personality development of virtually all patients is adversely affected as a result of the negative reaction of others to a "marked" person. Detailed studies have documented lower self-esteem and difficulties with interpersonal interactions in Port wine stains patients. Port wine stains are initially flat and red, but with time, they tend to darken to purple and become thickened as vascular nodules develop. This thickening occurs in approximately two-thirds of lesions and further disfigures the facial features of many patients.