Port wine stain (PWS)
Cosmetic Surgery - Plastic Surgery - Aesthetic Medicine - Reconstructive Surgery
PWS is a benign malformation of blood or lymphatic vessels.
Vascular malformations can be of several types: capillary (PWS), venous, lymphatic (cystic lymphangioma), arteriovenous and multiple (association of several vascular malformations).
We must distinguish angioma from hemangioma, a benign (non- cancerous) tumour of the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels which then multiply at an abnormal rate.
PWS is a congenital capillary malformation also called "birthmark", or nevus flammeus. Its origin is unknown.
The colour of PWS varies from pale pink to dark red or purple. PWS is characterized microscopically by dilated capillaries near the skin surface.
PWS is present at birth; it does not change until adulthood. The PWS may change over time, thicken and become grainy and sprout, producing nodules (which may bleed). PWS, flat at birth, never disappears. Some PWS will thicken with age while others do not.
Most PWS are localized on the skin (face, neck and head) but there are also locations on the brain and behind the eye.
The characteristic of PWS is that it does not change colour in cold or warm.
PWS is treated through the use of the laser. It often takes several sessions and it is usually necessary to repeat the series of treatments following any recurrence.