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What are port-wine stains?

What are the symptoms of port-wine stains?

How do doctors treat port-wine stains?

Noncancerous Skin Growths

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Polyglandular deficiency syndromes are hereditary disorders in which several endocrine glands (ie, glands that secrete hormones) malfunction together. Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment for these types of disorders?

Antifungal therapy
Changes in diet and exercise
Hormone replacement therapy
Umbilical cord transplantation

Port-Wine Stains

Q: What are the symptoms of port-wine stains?

\r\n \r\n\r\n Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD. \r\n \r\n","IsRestricted":true,"ImageWidth":"500","ImageHeight":"329","ItemId":"78dbc079-00e9-422c-a9eb-e401512a1a9f","Title":"Port-Wine Stain","Description":" These port-wine stains are smooth purple patches. ","ImageUrl":"/-/media/manual/home/images/port_wine_stain_high.jpg?thn=0&sc_lang=en","ThumbnailUrl":"/-/media/manual/home/images/port_wine_stain_high.jpg?mw=350&thn=0&sc_lang=en","MediaType":"image","MediaNameTranslated":"Image","UniqueId":"v8934656","Placement":"sideline","IsInCarousel":false,"Edition":0}' excludefrombrand=""> Port-wine stains: Are flat, not raised Are purple, red, or pink, and may darken as a child grows Cover a small or large area of skin

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Last full review/revision May 2020| Content last modified May 2020

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Topic Resources

Port-Wine Stain on the Face

Port-Wine Stain

Port-wine stains are pink, red, or purple patches on the skin. Many such patches have a color like port wine. The patches are made of many tiny blood vessels that grow incorrectly.

Port-wine stains are a type of birthmark, so babies are born with them
Port-wine stains don't go away on their own
Port-wine stains at the back of a newborn baby’s neck are sometimes given the nickname "stork bites"
They don’t hurt or itch, but some people are bothered by the way they look

Rarely, port-wine stains on a baby's face are a sign of a disorder that can cause seizures and other health problems. This disorder is called Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Port-wine stains:

Are flat, not raised
Are purple, red, or pink, and may darken as a child grows
Cover a small or large area of skin

Port-wine stains are harmless. Some can be covered up with makeup if you don't like the way they look.

Doctors can make port-wine stains fade or disappear using laser therapy. With laser therapy, a strong beam of light is aimed at the port-wine stain. This treatment works better in younger people.

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Pyogenic Granulomas

Noncancerous Skin Growths

Port-Wine Stains

Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Polyglandular deficiency syndromes are hereditary disorders in which several endocrine glands (ie, glands that secrete hormones) malfunction together. Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment for these types of disorders?

Antifungal therapy
Changes in diet and exercise
Hormone replacement therapy
Umbilical cord transplantation

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