Societal-Perceived Health Utility of Hypertrophic Facial Port-Wine Stain and Laser Treatment

摘要

Background: Port-wine stain (PWS) is a congenital capillary malformation occurring commonly in the head and neck. Left untreated, affected areas may darken and hypertrophy over time, resulting in pronounced disfigurement, risk of spontaneous hemorrhage, and functional impairment. The burden of hypertrophic facial PWS and the benefit of laser therapy have not heretofore been well characterized. Herein, the health utility of these two states is assessed among naive observers.