The treatment of cutaneous telangiectasia with the argon laser

The argon laser is of considerable value in the treatment of port wine stains. It is also a useful tool for the treatment of other vascular anomalies. We report our experience with 31 patients.
A variety of lesions were treated: post-radiation telangiectasia (2 patients); adenoma sebaceum (1); spider naevi (II); post rosacea telangiectasia of the nose (3); arborizing telangiectasia of the legs (4); venous flares of the legs (5); angiokeratoma of the thigh (1); and a miscellaneous group (4).
The patients have been followed up for between 6 and 24 months. Good results were obtained in patients with spider naevi and arborizing telangiectasia of the legs. Satisfactory results were seen in patients with post rosacea nasal telangiectasia, angiokeratoma of the thigh and in post-radiation telangiectasia. The argon laser was found not to be useful in the majority of patients with venous flares of the legs.
Hypopigmentation and mild skin atrophy was seen as a result of the laser treatment in four patients only. In none of the patients was there appreciable scarring.