Should port wine stains be treated?

In most cases, port wine stains do not affect health. Treatment will depend on the degree of aesthetic impact or signs related to congenital blood disorder syndrome.

Specialist Doctor Phan Ngoc Quynh Anh, Hemangioma Center - University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Facility 3, said that port-wine stain is a red or pink birthmark that appears from birth, due to a malformation that causes the capillaries in the skin to dilate.

Port-wine stains are clearly visible and distinct from other birthmarks, so a doctor usually only needs to make a visual examination to diagnose the condition.

Symptoms of port wine stains

In terms of color, the affected skin will be dark red or purple, sometimes pink or light purple. This color can change over time and depending on the severity of the disease.

Port-wine stains can vary in size and shape, from as small as a speck to as large as a pie.

A child with a port-wine stain on his leg was examined at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Campus 3

DOCTOR PROVIDERS

Port-wine stains can appear anywhere on the body, but most commonly appear on the face, neck, arms, and legs, and vary in thickness and softness, depending on the severity of the condition.

Birthmarks usually last a lifetime, especially with age, the birthmark gradually darkens to purple or dark red, the skin in the birthmark area gradually thickens into a papular form.

The affected skin area may bleed more easily than normal skin if scratched or injured, especially in enlarged papules, and increases the risk of infection.

How to treat port wine stains?

In most cases, port wine stains do not affect health. However, in some cases, port wine stains are symptoms associated with some special syndromes such as Sturge-Weber, Klippel-Trenaunay.

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a congenital vascular disorder characterized by a facial port-wine nevus, a leptomeningeal angioma, and neurological complications (such as seizures, focal cerebral ischemia, and intellectual disability). If there are signs of Sturge-Weber syndrome, a child should be evaluated by a neurologist.

A case of port-wine stain presented to the hospital

DOCTOR PROVIDERS

Usually, treatment will be considered by the doctor when the mole has a significant cosmetic impact, especially when it is present on the face. Treatment can be started when the child is a few months old, which helps to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.

According to Dr. Quynh Anh, laser is the most effective and safest treatment for port wine stains, especially in patients who detect the disease early and have not progressed severely. However, patients need to be treated multiple times, the exact number of treatments will depend on many factors including skin color, color of the stain, size, location, age, etc.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bi-bot-do-ruou-vang-co-nen-dieu-tri-185230417201911688.htm