DANA POINT, CALIF. – Although lasers are standard in the treatment of port wine stains, they don’t give full clearance or prevent recurrence, according to Dr. Kristen M. Kelly of the University of California, Irvine.
Using imaging, Dr. Kelly and her team observed that lasers provided patients with "very nice" destruction of blood vessels, but in as little as a week, revascularization would begin. The investigators sought a way to interfere with angiogenesis in order to extend clearance of the port wine stains.
In this video, recorded during the Summit in Aesthetic Medicine 2014, Dr. Kelly says that she doesn’t think "we have the optimal treatment yet." However, a proof of concept study she and others conducted that combined laser treatment with Food and Drug Administration–approved agents, such as imiquimod and rapamycin, showed "a slight improvement over lasers alone."
Dr. Kelly added that the current research is only a "first step," and that other agents will prove equally or more effective as antiangiogenesis gains recognition as a viable treatment for a range of cutaneous conditions.
The Summit in Aesthetic Medicine is held by the Global Academy for Medical Education. GAME and this news organization are owned by Frontline Medical Communications.
Dr. Kelly said she had no relevant financial conflicts to disclose.
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