Midline Capillary Formation Nuchae and Age.

Midline capillary formation nuchae (MCFN) consists of blanchable pink macules located around the midline of the occiput and nape. It has been implicated in the literature as a risk factor for angiosarcoma and might be related to a decrease in innervation of the involved capillaries. Although there is ample literature on its prevalence from birth through adult life, the literature in late life is sparse. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence in late life, whether it is truly a risk factor for angiosarcoma and whether it might be an indication of a systemic neuroendocrine effect or a local reaction. In routine skin screening examinations of 411 patients, the prevalence of MCFN increased with age (P<.0001), by quartiles of age overall (P=.0001), and among men only (P=.0013). No difference in prevalence was observed across quartiles of age among women only (P=.0688). No association was found with routine parameters that might be influenced by the systemic neuroendocrine system. Prevalence increases in old age, is not a risk factor for angiosarcoma, and might represent a response of local capillaries to normal changes in the neuroendocrine system that occur with age.

Smaller platelet volumes associated with vascular malformations.

Various parameters in 91 adult participants with vascular malformations and 91 controls were studied. The mean of the participants' platelet volumes was 8.5 fL and that of their controls was 9.1 (P < .001). The mean of the participants' platelet mass was 2145 µL/L of blood and that of their controls was 2351 (P = .006). The other parameters studied were not significantly different than the controls. It is suggested that the lower platelet volume might be related to a compensatory mechanism to keep the total body platelet mass stable despite the increased vasculature.

Patient perceptions of 595 nm pulsed dye laser through glass compression in the treatment of thick port wine stains and superficial venous malformations.

In treating thickened port wine stains and superficial venous malformations with the 595 nm pulse dye laser, we have sometimes compressed the lesion with a glass slide to enable the laser beam to penetrate more deeply. In order to evaluate the patients' perception of this modality, 54 subjects were treated with glass compression using ice applications to cool the skin surface and without glass compression using a cryospray to cool the surface. The subjects were asked to rate the difference in 2 questionnaires after the first and second treatments as to effectiveness, pain of procedure, and overall preference. Of those subjects who perceived a difference between modalities, a significant number perceived treatments with glass compression to be more effective than without (p=0.0002 and p=0.0006), but more painful (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in overall preference. Blistering occurred in 5 subjects when the glass slide was left on the skin more than 1 minute between ice applications.