Four Cases of Port-Wine Birthmark Treated with Hematoporphyrin Monomethyl Ether-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy After Radioactive Nuclide Patch Therapy

Abstract: Port-wine birthmark (PWB) are congenital vascular malformations that commonly occur on the face and neck, with an incidence of 0.3– 0.5% in the general population, causing significant negative psychological effects and economic burden to patients. Nevertheless, amidst the plethora of different treatment methods for PWB, choosing the option that best suits the patient’s need can be a challenge. In recent years, traditional treatment methods for PWB have been replaced by new therapies, and radioactive nuclide patch therapy is one of them. A panel of experts sought to describe herein 4 clinical cases, illustrating the PDT can demonstrate good precision and efficacy in the treatment of PWB. The research findings show the 4 patients in this group had a history of treatment with radioactive isotope patches. After 2– 3 sessions of HMME-PDT, all cases achieved satisfactory results, the color of the red skin lesions significantly faded, and the area of the lesions decreased noticeably. Superficial tissue ultrasound showed a reduction in lesion thickness before and after treatment. In summary, for cases where the efficacy of PWB treatment with radioactive isotope patches is inadequate, Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can be used as a treatment reference. Keywords: port-wine birthmark, PWB, photodynamic therapy, PDT, hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether, radioactive nuclide patch therapy