Treatment of port wine stains with pulsed dye laser in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: practical considerations and complications.

There is a paucity of clinical information on the treatment of port wine stains (PWS) with pulse dye lasers (PDL) in patients with connective tissue diseases. Systemic lupus (SLE) is characterized by increased skin fragility and the potential for pigmentary alterations. Additionally, medications used to treat SLE may alter patient responses to laser therapy. We describe two complications, tense blisters and hypopigmentation, after PDL treatment of PWS in SLE, and discuss the current knowledge on the use of PDL in patients with lupus.