Assessing the Effects of Air-cooling on Capillary Malformations

• To study the effects of cutaneous air cooling on blood vessel diameter in capillary malformation [ Time Frame: 10 minutes ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  In a temperature controlled room, the participant's capillary diameter/depth and skin/core temperatures will be taken from their CM prior to cooling the skin. The patients' CM will be cooled for a duration of 1 minute. The above measurements will be repeated immediately after 1 minute of cooling.
  
  

Capillary malformation (CM) is the most common vascular malformation occurring in approximately 0.3% of all newborn. The standard treatment for facial or aesthetically sensitive CM's is flashlamp Pulsed Dye Laser. Skin cooling prior to laser treatment of CMs is standard practice within our department. The effects of skin cooling on the vasculature within CMs are poorly understood. Previous studies by our department have shown that raising ambient temperature increases CM vessel size. It has been postulated that by increasing CM vessel size, it may also increase the effectiveness of treatment. We hypothesize that cooling the skin during laser treatment may cause vasconstriction of the superficial vessels within the CM. This may have an impact on treatment success.