CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE OF AN INTENSE, PULSED-LIGHT SOURCE ON LEG TELANGIECTASIAS OF UP TO 1 MM DIAMETER

Telangiectasias on the legs are difficult to treat in contrast to thos e on the face. Sclerotherapy is widely used but often results in hyper pigmentation. Procedures such as argon, pulsed dye and copper vapor la ser treatment may lead to scarring. Forty female patients with blue an d red telangiectasias on the legs were treated with a new, intense lig ht source, the PhotoDerm(R) VL, developed by Energy Systems Corporatio n Inc (ESC), Boston, USA. The diameter of the vessels was between 0.2 mm and 1 mm. The average age of the patients was 41.7 years, the young est was 24 years and the oldest 72 years. Patients were treated within the spectrum of 515 nm to 590 nm with varying pulse durations, Energy varied from 20 to 70 J/cm(2). Reticular and feeding veins were treate d first, Immediate clearing was achieved in 73.6% of the patients and in 84.3% of the patients after four weeks, Concerning the immediate re sponse, 82.0% clearing was seen in the group with veins of up to 0.2 m m diameter, 78.9% was seen in the group from 0.2 up to 0.5 mm and 59.7 % was seen in the group from 0.5 to 1 mm. After 1 month, clearing was seen in 92.1% in the first group, 80.0% in the second group and 81,0% in the third group of patients, Cosmetic results were excellent, neith er telangiectatic matting nor scarring was seen, There was no recurren ce in the follow-up period of 1 year, Our results show that treatment of telangiectatic veins of the leg with the PhotoDerm(R) VL is an effe ctive treatment with minimal damage to the skin.