4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this research study is to develop a better understanding of vascular stains and to improve the usual laser treatment for vascular stain by using optical coherence tomography (OCT). A total of about 130 people will participate in this study.
Dermatologists have for many years treated vascular lesions by a variety of modalities including cryosurgery, electrotherapy, dermabrasion and radiation. It has been hypothesized that simultaneous delivery of these two wavelengths may provide safer, and in some cases more effective, vascular lesion removal. The Tandem laser is capable of emitting multiple cryogen spurts intermittently with multiple 532/1064 nm laser pulses.This mode may reduce malformed blood vessels with a low incidence of long-term side effects.
Port wine stain are a congenital, progressive vascular malformation of human skin. The pulsed dye laser is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of choice. However, the degree of port wine stain blanching seen following pulsed dye laser treatment remains variable and unpredictable. If the ultimate standard required is complete lesion blanching, the average success rate is below 10%, even after undergoing numerous pulsed dye laser treatments. Moreover, less than 50% of patients achieve 50% fading of their Port wine stain in response to pulsed dye laser therapy.
This research study was designed to determine the effect on port wine stains (PWS) of liposomal benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid (BPD-MA) termed verteporfin by intravenous (IV) infusion for photodynamic therapy (PDT) or combined PDT and pulsed dye laser (PDL) therapy (PDT + PDL). The standard treatment for PWS is PDL alone. This lightens some PWS but many lesions are not completely removed. PDT uses a medication and light together to cause injury to a target. The medication is given and then light is directed at the desired area of treatment to achieve an effect. PDT has been used to treat some skin conditions including pre-cancers and skin cancers. Using PDT or PDT immediately followed by PDL therapy may improve PWS lightening. At this time, both PDT and PDT + PDL therapy for treatment of PWS is investigational. The type and amount of medication and light which may be used to treat PWS is not known, and is likely to be different than those used for other PDT treatments.