BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vascular ectasia in port wine stain birthmarks (PWS) might result from reduced innervation with loss of autonomic stimulation. We investigated this theory and evaluated nerve and blood vessel density, and mean blood vessel size in untreated and treated PWS skin. METHODS: Skin biopsy specimens were obtained from uninvolved skin, untreated PWS, PWS with a good response to laser treatment and PWS with a poor response to laser treatment. Confocal microscopy was performed to determine nerve and blood vessel density, and mean blood vessel size. RESULTS: Nerve density was significantly decreased in all PWS sites compared to uninvolved skin. Mean blood vessel diameter was larger in untreated compared to treated PWS. PWS with a good response to treatment had decreased nerve density but blood vessel density and mean diameter was relatively normal. PWS with a poor response to treatment had decreased nerve density but increased blood vessel density and mean blood vessel diameter compared to normal skin. CONCLUSION: Nerve density was decreased in all evaluated PWS sites and this may be a factor in lesion pathogenesis. PWS blood vessel size correlated with pulsed dye laser response and may prove to be a useful prognostic indicator of therapeutic outcome.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:Vascular ectasia in port wine stain birthmarks (PWS) might result from reduced innervation with loss of autonomic stimulation. We investigated this theory and evaluated nerve and blood vessel density, and mean blood vessel size in untreated and treated PWS skin. METHODS: Skin biopsy specimens were obtained from uninvolved skin, untreated PWS, PWS with a good response to laser treatment and PWS with a poor response to laser treatment. Confocal microscopy was performed to determine nerve and blood vessel density, and mean blood vessel size. RESULTS: Nerve density was significantly decreased in all PWS sites compared to uninvolved skin. Mean blood vessel diameter was larger in untreated compared to treated PWS. PWS with a good response to treatment had decreased nerve density but blood vessel density and mean diameter was relatively normal. PWS with a poor response to treatment had decreased nerve density but increased blood vessel density and mean blood vessel diameter compared to normal skin. CONCLUSION: Nerve density was decreased in all evaluated PWS sites and this may be a factor in lesion pathogenesis. PWS blood vessel size correlated with pulsed dye laser response and may prove to be a useful prognostic indicator of therapeutic outcome.
Authors: Wangcun Jia; Nadia Tran; Victor Sun; Marko Marinček; Boris Majaron; Bernard Choi; J Stuart Nelson Journal: Lasers Surg Med Date: 2012-01-24 Impact factor: 4.025
Authors: Bruce Yang; Owen Yang; John Guzman; Paul Nguyen; Christian Crouzet; Kathryn E Osann; Kristen M Kelly; J Stuart Nelson; Bernard Choi Journal: Lasers Surg Med Date: 2015-06-03 Impact factor: 4.025
Authors: Bernard Choi; Wenbin Tan; Wangcun Jia; Sean M White; Wesley J Moy; Bruce Y Yang; Jiang Zhu; Zhongping Chen; Kristen M Kelly; J Stuart Nelson Journal: IEEE J Sel Top Quantum Electron Date: 2015-10-26 Impact factor: 4.544
Authors: Yu-Chih Huang; Nadia Tran; Peter R Shumaker; Kristen Kelly; E Victor Ross; J Stuart Nelson; Bernard Choi Journal: Lasers Surg Med Date: 2009-10 Impact factor: 4.025
Authors: M Ingmar van Raath; Ruud Weijer; Gia Hung Nguyen; Bernard Choi; Anton I de Kroon; Michal Heger Journal: J Biomed Nanotechnol Date: 2016-08 Impact factor: 4.099
Authors: W Tan; J Wang; F Zhou; L Gao; R Yin; H Liu; A Sukanthanag; G Wang; M C Mihm; D-B Chen; J S Nelson Journal: Br J Dermatol Date: 2017-11-16 Impact factor: 11.113
Authors: Guillermo Aguilar; Bernard Choi; Mans Broekgaarden; Owen Yang; Bruce Yang; Pedram Ghasri; Jennifer K Chen; Rick Bezemer; J Stuart Nelson; Anne Margreet van Drooge; Albert Wolkerstorfer; Kristen M Kelly; Michal Heger Journal: Ann Biomed Eng Date: 2011-10-21 Impact factor: 3.934