Cherry
or strawberry angiomas are acquired vascular
lesions. They are named
after their appearance
with a cherry or strawberry
type look to them. They
are not a dangerous condition, but they can be cosmetically
unappealing. Since they have a bearing on a person's
appearance there
is
a
significant demand for
the cosmetic laser correction
of these two scarring
conditions.
These two types of angiomas
are different from congenital
vascular lesions and malformations.
Apart from the spider and
cherry angiomas, acquired
vascular lesions include
telangiectases, pyogenic,
granuloma, venous lake
and leg vein abnormalities.
These conditions are
marked by varying degrees
of blood vessel ectasia.
Treatment of cherry and
spider angiomas are much
sought after among
various laser-assisted
skin treatments. Selective
photothermolysis is the
fundamental practice in
the treatment of these
acquired lesions, which
includes spider
angiomas as well. This
laser treatment approach
first originated in the
1980s and since
then various types of lasers
and light sources have
been used effectively
for the treatment of vascular
lesions. The most common
treatment methods include:
- Wavelengths
between green and yellow
- Near
infrared lasers
- Broadband
light sources
Though these each have
their own drawbacks, they
form the
standard treatment procedures
for vascular lesions. Spider
angioma and cherry or strawberry
angiomas
are commonly acquired lesions
and respond well to laser
corrections.
Clinical
features of cherry or strawberry
angioma
Cherry angiomas occur
in the form of tender vascular
tumors of the skin. They
commonly develop later
in life. Clinical characteristic
include:
- Papular telangiectases
that generally occur
on trunk and the proximal
extremities
- Occurrence
in large numbers
- Bleeding caused by
slight distress
- A
cosmetic annoyance
- Diameter of each
vessels varies
between 0.1 to 1
mm
- Vessels
are either show either
localized
or widespread
distribution
Treatment
of cherry or strawberry
angioma
Laser or IPL treatment
has proved to be highly
effective in the treatment
of this type of acquired
angioma. Single pulse lasers
are usually required for
fine papular lesions. More
hypertrophic lesions necessitate
two single pulses. Out
of the two, one should
be combined with diascopy
and one without it. This
must be done to ensure
total correction of the
angioma.
On certain patients, it
is also necessary to fix
up a second laser session
after 4–6 weeks of
the first PDL application.
The best type of PDL settings
should include:
- Dynamic cooling at
595 nm wavelength
- Spot
size of 7-mm
- Fluences
between 8–10
J/cm2
- Dynamic cooling
device (DCD) settings
of 30-40
millisecond spray and
20-30 millisecond delay
