Laser treatment of cutaneous vascular tumors and malformations.

Cutaneous vascular lesions are common in both children and adults. The vast majority of these lesions respond well to laser treatment. A select few lesions may require surgical intervention. In order to choose the optimal laser treatment for a given lesion, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the available technology. This understanding includes the characteristics of each laser wavelength, pulse duration, and possible associated epidermal cooling. Furthermore, it is important to understand the specific characteristics of each individual vascular lesion. Together, laser treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions of the head and neck region can be optimized.