You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page.
Turn on more accessible mode
Turn off more accessible mode
Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Turn off Animations
Turn on Animations
CTDetailNew
It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again.
Appointment
Find a Condition or Treatment
Find a Doctor
Menu
MAIN
Back to Home
About Us
Corporate Profile
Clinical Outcomes
Newsroom
Volunteer
Calendar of Events
Contact Us
Patient Care
Conditions & Treatments
Specialties & Services
Your Clinic Visit
Your Hospital Stay
Visitor Information
E-Services
Research & Innovation
Research in SGH
Research Peaks
Enablers
Research Community
Clinical Trials
SingHealth Research
Education & Training
Undergraduate
Residency
Continuing Education
Fellowships
Conferences & Workshops
SingHealth Academy
Careers
Overview
Why Choose Us
Career Choices
Sponsorships
Job Opportunities
Giving
Overview
Why Give
Get Involved
Your Gift at Work
Make a Gift
Contact
Conditions & Treatments
Back to Home
Conditions & Treatments
Find a Medicine
Find a Doctor
Healthxchange
Specialties & Services
Back to Home
Clinical Specialties
Colorectal Surgery
Diagnostic Radiology
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Orthopaedic Surgery
Urology
> More Specialties & Services
Centres / Services
ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) Centre
Diabetes & Metabolism Centre
Allergy Centre
Health Assessment Centre
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Centre
> More Centres & Services
Allied Health Professionals
Allied Health Corporate Wellness Services
Nursing
Nursing Specialties
Community Nursing in the Southeast
Your Clinic Visit
Back to Home
Planning For Your Visit
Make or change appointment
Find a Doctor
Preparing for your lab test
Preparing for your scan
During Your Consultation
Digital Medical Certificates
Phone Consult
Video Consult
Register as Caregiver
Charges & Payments
Patient Financial Services
Medisave, Medishield Life & Insurance
Payment Information
Pay Online
Outpatient Charges
Collecting Your Medication
Medication Delivery
Medication Delivery via HealthBuddy
Request A Repeat Prescription
Emergency Care
Patient Liaison Service
Refer a Patient (For GPs)
Overseas Emergency Evacuation
Health Buddy App
Your Hospital Stay
Back to Home
Preparing For Admission
Estimated Cost of Admission
Type of Wards
Financing Your Admission
What to Bring
During Your Stay
Arriving at Your Ward
Ward Facilities and Services
Daily Ward Routine
MyCare app & Bedside Tablet
Caring for You
Visitors
Going for Surgery
Pre-Admission Assessments
Going for Anaesthesia
MySurgery - Personal Assistant for Surgery
Giving Birth
Maternity and Antenatal Charges
Antenatal Classes
Labour Ward Tour
Going into Labour
Staying in the Ward
Birth Registration
For Caregivers
Discharge
Apply for Medical Report
Support Groups
Digital Medical Certificates
Visitor Information
Back to Home
Contact Us
Visiting a Patient
Getting to SGH
Shuttle Service
Wheelchair Shuttle Service
Public Bus Service
Taxi Services
Carpark & Fees
Bicycle Parking
Getting around SGH Campus
Academia
SingHealth Tower & OCH
Closure & Changes to Road Network
Ward@Bowyer (Ward 88)
Directory
Public WiFi
SGH Museum
Souvenirs
E-Services
Back to Home
Make/Change Appointment
Feedback & Compliments
Find a Doctor
Pay Online
Financial Counselling Online
Patient Financial Services
Sign-up for Medication Delivery Service
Register to visit a patient
Request for Medical Report
Home
to skip to the main content on a page
to skip to the main content on a page
About Us
Back to Home
Corporate Profile
Hospital Overview
Our Heritage
Mission & Core Values
SGH Leadership
Key Milestones
SGH Campus Masterplan
Clinical Outcomes
Our Commitment to you
Key Utilisation Statistic
Personal Data Protection Act
Whistle-blowing Policy
Newsroom
News Release
News Articles
Lighternotes
Singapore Health
Annual Reports
Media Contact
Perfectly Imperfect Health Podcast
Publications
Volunteer
Volunteer Programmes
Benefits
Testimony
Contact Community Relation
Calendar of Events
Contact Us
Check Fake News
Patient Care
Back to Home
Conditions & Treatments
Conditions & Treatments
Find a Medicine
Find a Doctor
Healthxchange
Specialties & Services
Clinical Specialties
Centres / Services
Allied Health Professionals
Nursing
Your Clinic Visit
Planning For Your Visit
During Your Consultation
Charges & Payments
Collecting Your Medication
Emergency Care
Patient Liaison Service
Health Buddy App
Your Hospital Stay
Preparing For Admission
During Your Stay
Going for Surgery
Giving Birth
For Caregivers
Discharge
Visitor Information
Contact Us
Visiting a Patient
Getting to SGH
Getting around SGH Campus
Directory
SGH Museum
E-Services
Make/Change Appointment
Feedback & Compliments
Find a Doctor
Pay Online
Financial Counselling Online
Patient Financial Services
Sign-up for Medication Delivery Service
Register to visit a patient
Request for Medical Report
Research & Innovation
Back to Home
Research in SGH
Research Office
Facts and Funding
Research Peaks
Ageing and Population Health
Cancer
Cardiovascular Emergencies
Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders
Immunology and Transplant
Infectious Diseases
Enablers
Biomechanics Lab
Clinical Innovation & Translation Unit
Clinical Translational Sciences
Clinical Trials and Research Centre
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Health Services Research
Pathological Sciences
Radiological Sciences
Research Community
Academic Clinical Programmes (ACPs)
Allied Health Research
Nursing Research
Asia-Pacific Leukemia Consortium
Clinical Trials
Participate in Clinical Trials
FertStart
SingHealth Research
Education & Training
Back to Home
Undergraduate
Undergraduate Medical Education
History
Apply for Elective Posting for Overseas Medical Students
Residency
Continuing Education
PGMI
PGAHI
IAN
Fellowships
Types of Fellowship
How to Apply?
Fees
Conferences & Workshops
Calendar of Events
Pre-Medical Student Talks
SingHealth Academy
Careers
Back to Home
Overview
Why Choose Us
Employer of Choice
Fair Employment Company
Learning and Career Development
Remuneration and Benefits
SGH Work-Life
Career Choices
Doctor
Nurse
Allied Health Professionals
Management & Administration
Ancillary & Support
Researcher
Sponsorships
Educational Sponsorships
WSQ Courses (Place & Train)
Meet Our Awardees
FAQs
Job Opportunities
Giving
Back to Home
Overview
Why Give
Finding A Cure & Advancing Medical Education
Helping Our Patients
Get Involved
Sharing Your Joy with Others
Tribute to Healthcare Heroes
Create a Named Fund
Leave a Lasting Legacy
Your Gift at Work
Meet the Beneficiaries
Meet Donors Like You
Meet Our Researchers
Meet our Staff Donors
Make a Gift
Contact
Home
>
Patient Care
>
Conditions and Treatment
>
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations
Facebook
WhatsApp
Email Us
share
Font Resize
A-
A
A+
Print
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - What it is
Port-wine stains (PWS) are birthmarks that occur due to abnormal development of blood vessels.
They are usually present at birth and do not resolve spontaneously.
About three in 1,000 babies are born with a PWS. It affects boys and girls equally and do not usually run in families.
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - Symptoms
PWS usually appear as pink or pale purple patches on one side of the scalp, face, neck or limbs.
Although they can occur on any part of the skin, they occur most commonly on the head, neck and limbs.
They can vary in size from a few millimetres to a big patch covering almost half of the face or limb.
These patches grow in proportion to the growth of the child.
Although, in the initial six months of life, there might be an apparent lightening of the initial colour, this must not be mistaken as a sign of resolution. True PWS do not resolve without treatment. With age, the colour can darken and the affected skin may become thicker and lumpy.
Uncomplicated PWS do not usually cause any symptoms. However, they can affect the quality of life of the affected individual and their family due to their appearance.
Eczema can develop over a PWS, which may become itchy or sore.
Rarely, PWS can occur in association with other abnormalities depending on the location:
PWS occurring on the forehead or around the eye may be associated with eye abnormalities, including increased pressure (glaucoma), requiring treatment by a paediatric ophthalmologist.
PWS on the upper face / forehead can be associated with brain abnormalities, like fits and delayed development (Sturge-Weber-Syndrome). This may require further investigations with scans or referral to a paediatric neurologist.
PWS on the central back overlying the spine can be linked to an underlying spinal defect (spinal dysraphism). This may require referral to a paediatric neurosurgeon.
Klippel-Trenaunay-Syndrome occurs when there is enlargement of the limb affected by the port wine stain, which may also develop enlarged deeper varicose-type veins.
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - How to prevent?
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - Causes and Risk Factors
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - Diagnosis
The diagnosis of PWS is clinical. Rarely, the doctor may order imaging to be performed e.g. ultrasound and/or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - Treatments
PWS are not harmful and do not require treatment. However, if they are left alone, they can darken in colour during adolescence or adulthood and the skin can become thicker. Lumps can form and lead to a cobblestone-like appearance, which may lead to bleeding.
PWS can be lightened by treatment with lasers, in particular, the pulsed dye laser (PDL). Early treatment is recommended for best results, as the baby’s skin is thinner and the PWS is relatively small and light.
Laser treatment can be performed from a few months of age and has to be repeated every twp to four weeks for at least six to eight times.
Results can vary depending on the site of the lesion and the initial colour. PWS can darken again later in life, requiring repeat treatments.
Laser treatments can be done without the use of general anaesthesia (GA) in younger babies. However, for children above 1 year of age, it is recommended for laser treatment to be performed under GA.
Post-laser, dark bruising is often observed, which can last for one to two weeks. The skin can become more sensitive to rubbing. Other possible temporary side effects include blistering and crusting. Scarring is rare.
The aim of treatment is to lighten the PWS, as it is often not possible to make it disappear completely.
The information above is also available for download in pdf format.
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - Preparing for surgery
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - Post-surgery care
Port-Wine Stain / Capillary Malformations - Other Information
Overview
Article contributed by
Dermatology Service
,
KK Women's and Children's Hospital
;
Dermatology Service
,
KK Women's and Children's Hospital
The information provided is not intended as medical advice.
Terms of use
. Information provided by
Our Breast Team
Filter:
By designation or sub-specialty
By Designation:
By Sub-Specialty:
TOP
[]
Related Conditions
Related Medicine
Find a Doctor
Condition & Treatment
Home
Appointment
E-services