Review of Modern Techniques in Detecting Port-wine Stain Response to Laser Therapy |
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Authors: | Khanh-Van T Le MD Hossain Shahidullah MD & Ilona J Frieden MD |
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Institution: | Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, USA. |
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Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Traditional mechanisms of assessing port-wine stain response to laser therapy have rested mainly on subjective determinations by physician and patient. However, the wide variation in treatment response poses a profound need for objective devices to measure treatment outcomes so that maximum effectiveness of therapy can be achieved without unnecessary repeat treatments. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper will be to review noninvasive techniques to measure port-wine stain response to laser therapy. METHODS: This report is based on a review of medical and bioscience literature. RESULTS: Several techniques including laser Doppler, reflectance spectrophotometry, tristimulus colorimetry, and videomicroscopy have been developed to address the need for objective measurement devices. CONCLUSION: While many instruments are available, these techniques are limited by cost, small test size area, and/or inconclusive correlation with clinical response. A number of experimental techniques may circumvent many of the problems inherent in currently-available commercial technologies. |
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