Comparison of Efficacy Between Hemoporfin Photodynamic Therapy and Pulsed Dye Laser in the Treatment of Port‐Wine Stains With Different Vascular Patterns: A Retrospective Study

ABSTRACT Objective This study compares the effects of Hemoporfin‐mediated photodynamic therapy (HMME‐PDT) with pulsed dye laser (PDL) in Port‐Wine Stains (PWS) with different vascular modes. Methods This study included 50 PWS patients who received HMME‐PDT and 57 PWS patients who received PDL. They underwent two respective treatments, recording the vascular pattern and analyzing the efficacy of the two treatment methods. Results Under Dermoscopy, five types of vascular patterns were observed: dots or globules, linear vessels, reticular vessels, mixed vessels, and whitish veil. The effective rates of the HMME‐PDT group under each vascular pattern are 100%, 92.30%, 60.00%, 50.00%, and 66.67%, showing differences within the group ( p = 0.002). The effective rates of the PDL group under each vascular pattern are 90.91%, 80.65%, 42.86%, 40.00%, and 33.33%, exhibiting differences within the group ( p = 0.004). Both treatment regimens demonstrated the highest efficacy in the dots or globules pattern. HMME‐PDT was significantly more effective than PDL in lesions with linear vessels ( p = 0.015). In other vascular patterns (reticular, mixed, and whitish veil), HMME‐PDT showed numerically higher but not statistically significant improvements compared to PDL. Conclusion HMME‐PDT appears more effective than PDL for PWS, with treatment outcomes varying by dermoscopic vascular pattern. These findings support the role of dermoscopic assessment in tailoring individualized treatment approaches.