Infrared light heat therapy of port wine stain in adult patients as new innovative technique

Background: Port wine needs early age intervention, most effectively by pulse dye laser where about 40-45% improves only and by at least 75% after 5 to 25 sessions. Objectives: To try therapy of port wine stain in adult patients using flame of infrared light. Patients and Methods: Twenty adult patients with facial port wine stain were treated during the period from 2014-2017 years, 11 females and 9 males with ages ranged from 16-35 years with a mean of 25 years. After local anesthesia with 2% xylocaine, direct flame of infrared light that generated from heated red head of needle of diathermy was used. This light therapy was delivered with about 1-2cm away from the port wine and the time of exposure was decided by greyish blanching of the lesion, usually 1-2 minutes needed. Only one session of infrared was delivered. The response to therapy and according to the reduction rate was estimated as follow: 0-25%,>26-50%,>51-75%,>76-100%. Results: Immediately after session, there was edema, swelling. Reduction of erythema of port wine started immediately after infrared exposure and was obvious after two weeks and then slowly faded, with more improvement in the next few months. The reduction rate of port wine stain was ranged between 50-70% after only one session in 19 patients while one patient showed 25% reduction. It was noticed that, whenever the color of the port wine stain is dusky red with thickened nodular lesions, it responded quickly and better to this therapy. Conclusion: Infrared light heat therapy from diathermy needle was an effective mode of therapy in all adult patients with port wine stain. This new technique is easy to be used and non -costly procedure especially when compared with pulse dye laser.