The broad, long term objective of this work is the development of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) for application in the clinical management of patients with port wine stain (PWS). PDT involves the use of an exogenous drug which is concentrated in a targeted tissue. When irradiated at wavelengths specifically absorbed by the drug, selective destruction of the targeted tissue, without the production of heat, occurs. The results of this preliminary study demonstrate in human PWS patients that a photosensitizer, such as PHOTOFRINR, activated by red light at the appropriate therapeutic wavelength, can cause destruction of subsurface blood vessels in the skin with a high degree of specificity, and further study appears warranted.

The application of pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) diagnostics to characterize port wine stain (PWS) lesions is discussed. A PPTR signal of a PWS in response to pulsed laser exposure is shown to consist of an initial `T-jump' due to epidermal melanin absorption and a `delayed thermal wave' resulting from laser generated heat in subsurface blood vessels diffusing to the skin surface. A prototype PPTR instrument incorporating an infrared fiber is constructed which facilitates convenient skin-site accessibility. Laser heating of the infrared collection optics results in an artifactual signal which overestimates the initial `T-jump.' Magnitude of the error is measured and a method to eliminate it is suggested.