Port-wine stain is a common vascular skin lesion. The evaluation of its treatment effect is of great significance for clinical management and patient prognosis. Scientific, objective and systematic evaluation of the effect of removing port-wine stain can provide a reference for the optimization of treatment plans and help improve patient satisfaction. This article will discuss in detail the evaluation methods and standards for the removal of port-wine stain from multiple aspects, including clinical manifestations, imaging examinations, color evaluation, patient subjective feelings and related scoring systems.
1. Evaluation of Clinical Manifestations
Clinical manifestations are the intuitive basis for evaluating the effect of port-wine stain removal. The changes in the size, color, shape, and boundary clarity of the lesions should be recorded in detail before and after treatment. Effective treatment is usually manifested as a significant reduction in the color of the spots, blurred or gradual disappearance of the boundaries, a reduction in the area of the lesions, and a return to normal skin texture.
Observation of color changes is the core of the evaluation. When the color changes from bright red to light red, pink or even close to normal skin color, it indicates that the vascular dilation is reduced or disappears. The reduction in the lesion area reflects the reduction of vascular lesions, while the blurring of the boundaries indicates that the vascular structure of the lesions has changed. By regularly taking standardized clinical photographs and combining them with quantitative measurement tools, the changes in lesions can be monitored more accurately.
2. Auxiliary evaluation of imaging examinations
With the development of medical imaging technology, technologies such as ultrasound, Doppler blood flow imaging and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been used in the evaluation of port-wine stain.
Color Doppler ultrasound can accurately detect abnormal blood flow signals in the skin. After treatment, the blood flow signals weaken or disappear, indicating that the blood vessels in the lesions are closed or reduced.
OCT technology can provide high-resolution cross-sectional images of skin blood vessels, making it easier to observe changes in vascular structure and assist in determining treatment effectiveness.
Laser Doppler imaging can quantitatively analyze local blood perfusion, and a decrease in perfusion after treatment is an indicator of good efficacy.
These imaging technologies provide important data support for objective evaluation, and have high application value, especially in deep vascular lesions that are difficult to judge with the naked eye.
3. Quantitative analysis of color
Color evaluation is a quantitative method for assessing the therapeutic effect of port-wine stains. It is usually tested using a colorimeter (colorimeter). By measuring the color difference between the treated area and normal skin (Lab * color space parameters), the color change of the stain can be objectively reflected.
The L* value indicates brightness, with increasing values representing lighter skin.
The a* value indicates the degree of redness, with decreasing values indicating a reduction in redness.
The b* value represents the change from yellow to blue and is less commonly used in port red stain assessment.
By continuously measuring the changes in color difference parameters, the treatment effect can be scientifically quantified and subjective errors can be reduced.
4. Patients’ Subjective Feelings and Quality of Life Evaluation
The patient's subjective perception of the treatment effect and the improvement in quality of life are dimensions that cannot be ignored in evaluating the efficacy. Port-wine stains may affect the patient's appearance and psychological state, and the recognition of the treatment effect often affects the patient's satisfaction.
①. Visual analogue scale (VAS) is often used to assess patients’ satisfaction with the color of erythema.
② Quality of life questionnaires (such as DLQI) can assess the impact of skin diseases on patients' lives. After effective treatment, the quality of life should be improved.
Combined with patient feedback, it can more comprehensively reflect the therapeutic effect and guide clinical adjustment of treatment plans.
5. Standardized Scoring System
To standardize the assessment, the academic community has proposed a variety of scoring systems for port-wine stain, such as a comprehensive score based on changes in color, area, and texture.
The port-wine stain grading standard divides lesions into different grades based on color depth, area size and lesion thickness, and evaluates the reduction in grade after treatment.
The comprehensive scoring system combines clinical manifestations, color changes and imaging data to form a quantitative index system, which facilitates the comparison of the efficacy of different treatment options.
The application of the scoring system helps to improve the scientificity and consistency of the evaluation.
6. Precautions in evaluating treatment effects
When evaluating the effect of removing port-wine stains, the following points should be noted:
Selection of evaluation time points : The therapeutic effect usually appears several weeks to months after treatment, and multiple follow-up observations are required.
Standardize shooting conditions to ensure consistent lighting, angles, and distances to avoid affecting visual judgment.
Combining multiple evaluation methods , a single indicator may have limitations, and comprehensive evaluation is more comprehensive.
Avoid subjective bias and try to use objective instruments to assist evaluation.
7. Future Development Trends
With technological advancement, more new non-invasive detection methods such as photoacoustic imaging and three-dimensional vascular reconstruction will be used in the evaluation of port-wine stain efficacy. At the same time, the development of artificial intelligence technology in image analysis and color recognition is expected to improve the accuracy and efficiency of evaluation.
Beauty Encyclopedia Tips: Scientific evaluation of port-stained redness removal requires the combination of multi-dimensional indicators such as clinical manifestations, imaging data, color quantification, and subjective feedback from patients. The comprehensive use of standardized scoring systems, multiple follow-ups, and objective testing tools will help to accurately judge the progress and efficacy of treatment, and provide an important reference for the optimization of clinical treatment plans.