Port Wine Stain

Port Wine Stain

A port wine stain is a relatively common birth mark caused by a collection of swollen blood vessels near the skin surface. It is usually innocuous, but may cause emotional distress in patients where the birthmark is especially prominent (hey, it didn’t stop Gorbachev from espousing Perestroika and Glasnost). The color is reddish-purple like the color of Port wine (sorry Sherry, there is no birthmark named after you) and can darken with age. Occasionally, a port wine stain may be an indication of a more serious disease such as Sturge-Weber syndrome, or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome (I always wondered if doctors resented having to share a disease discovery with so many other doctors). If bothersome, port wine stains can be removed just like unwanted tattoos. Laser treatments are effective because it kills the offending blood vessels without damaging the skin. Repeated treatments are required and this can be an expensive and time consuming proposition.