Lighting the way to vascular lesion resolution

Oct 5 2012

By Helen Albert, Senior medwireNews Reporter

Treatment with a new-generation optimized pulsed light (OPL) device significantly decreases the size and coloration of port wine stains (PWS) and other vascular cutaneous lesions, show research findings.

The results build on those of a previous study demonstrating the efficacy of an earlier version of the OPL device used in this study on PWS.

Maurice Adatto (Skinpulse Dermatology & Laser Centre, Geneva, Switzerland), who presented the study at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in Prague, Czech Republic, explained that, since the initial study was published in 2010, the OPL device has been improved and can now offer higher fluences at short pulse durations.

Adatto and team enrolled 16 individuals (10 female) aged between 11 and 71 years to take part in their study. Of these, 14 had PWS and two had capillary-venous malformations (vascular malformation and facial telangiectasia) in a variety of locations on the face and body.

The OPL device has a dual wavelength band of 500-670 nm and 870-1200 nm. The patients underwent one to four treatment sessions of one pass of 50 J/cm² at 10 ms, or two passes of 34-36 J/cm² at 10 ms then 22-28 J/cm² at 5 ms. Clinical assessment was carried out at 2 to 4 days and 1 to 2 months after treatment using a 3D light reflectance device designed to provide an objective assessment of hemoglobin clearance before and after treatment.

The team found that a maximum of 50-60 J/cm² at 5 or 10 ms pulse width in one or two consecutive passes provided effective lesion clearance, with 10 of 16 individuals achieving an improvement of 50% or greater after one to four sessions of OPL therapy.

In 15% of the patients, 80-100% clearance was seen after only one treatment session.

No significant complications such as scarring or hypo- or hyperpigmentation were observed after treatment with OPL, although transitory purpura and edema lasting 3 to 5 and 1 to 3 days, respectively, did occur.

Before the advent of OPL devices, PWS were mostly treated using pulsed dye lasers (PDL). When asked about what the findings of this study mean for patients, Adatto told medwireNews that "it means that we have another technological alternative to treat their PWS, especially if the lesion doesn't answer to PDL," adding that the research opens "new horizons in the management of vascular lesions."

Regarding future research, Adatto said that they are still optimizing the device and are planning to study its efficacy in a pediatric population.

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