A recent study has shown promising results in the treatment of port-wine birthmarks in infants using once-weekly pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatments. The study, which involved 10 infants under the age of 6 months, demonstrated significant improvements in the affected skin areas with this treatment approach.

According to the findings, 70 percent of the infants achieved either near-total clearance or total clearance of their port-wine birthmarks after 2 months of once-weekly PDL treatments. The remaining 30 percent also showed marked improvements and eventually achieved near-total clearance with additional treatments.

The treatment, which took a median of 2 months and a median of eight sessions to achieve near-complete or total clearance, was well tolerated by the infants. None of the infants experienced any adverse events such as post-treatment purpura, pigmentary alterations, scarring, burns, erosions, or infections.

Notably, the study found that initiating PDL treatment early in infants with port-wine birthmarks may lead to better outcomes. Infants under 3 months old are less likely to experience side effects from the laser, allowing for more frequent treatments and potentially faster overall treatment completion.

The researchers behind the study emphasized the importance of further investigation into the benefits of the once-weekly PDL treatment interval for infants with port-wine birthmarks. They believe that this approach, made possible by the absence of post-treatment-related purpura, could lead to improved outcomes and shorter treatment durations.

Overall, the study highlights the potential effectiveness and safety of once-weekly PDL treatments for infants with port-wine birthmarks, offering a promising treatment option for this condition.