Acquired port-wine stains and antecedent trauma: case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: While cases of congenital port-wine stains (PWSs) are relatively common, cases of acquired PWSs are quite rare. Many of the reported cases of the acquired type have been reported to be related to previous trauma.

OBSERVATIONS: We encountered a case of acquired PWSs in a 3-year-old girl. Her parents noted that the lesions appeared in areas of antecedent trauma. This prompted us to review all reported cases of acquired PWSs and to assess the relationship to trauma. Among the 59 cases reported, there was a slight female predominance (female-male ratio, 35:24). Seventeen (29%) of the cases were related to trauma. One report evaluated the effectiveness of lasers in the treatment of acquired PWSs and found that 54% of patients treated with pulsed dye lasers had an excellent response or complete clearance.

CONCLUSIONS: Port-wine stains are not only congenital but can be acquired as well. Trauma can be one of the causes of acquired PWSs. To explain this phenomenon, various theories, including abnormal vascular repair and altered vascular innervation, have been proposed. Lasers are the treatment of choice in all cases of PWSs and may be more effective in those that are acquired.