Vascular Lesions

Port-wine stains (PWS) are irregularly shaped birthmarks in which swollen blood vessels create a reddish-purplish discoloration of the skin, looking like someone spilled wine on the skin. Unlike some other birthmarks, such as a “stork bite” or “strawberry,” a port-wine stain grows as the child grows and will last into adulthood. The color usually gets darker, turning purple or a deep red. The skin of a port-wine stain often gets thicker, and it may go from feeling smooth to pebbly.

Venous lake is a dark blue to purple soft papule resulting from a dilated venule, occurring on the face, lips, and ears of older patients.

Red moles, or cherry angiomas, are collections of small blood vessels with a domed reddish appearance that can occur all over the body.

Spider angioma is a red network of dilated capillaries radiating from a central punctum.

All this vascular lesions can be treated very effectively with the 1064-Yag laser, many times with only 1-2 treatments.