Laser Treatment of Cutaneous Vascular Lesions

Abstract

Currently, there is no one laser that can treat all cutaneous lesions with excellent results. One must have a clear understanding of the laser to skin tissue interaction before treating a patient to minimize any undesirable outcomes. The morphology, configuration, and distribution of a lesion will vary from patient to patient depending on the energy transferred to the skin. The color and thickness of the lesion as well as a patient’s skin type must also be considered in the overall treatment procedure. Lasers used for the treatment of vascular lesions include the argon, flash lamp pulsed dye, copper vapor, KTP (potassium titanyl phosphate)/532 (double frequency Qswitched yttrium-aluminum garnet), and krypton lasers. The laser surgeon’s understanding of a particular laser and wavelength, its availability, and the type of vascular lesion will ultimately determine the preferred treatment.