School of Medicine

Controversy exists over the management strategy of pediatric patients with facial port wine stains (PWS) referred to pediatric dermatologists. A unifying and clinically manageable guideline recommending neuroimaging and ophthalmological screening for select patients with facial PWS enables potential prophylactic management in appropriate candidates while confidently minimizing the concerns of patients without risk. Recent attempts have been made to enhance the strength of risk prediction by identifying PWS distributions with new topographic maps and unique high risk areas.1,2 The primary aim of this study was to compare multiple proposed “high risk” areas of facial PWS used as potential screening tools for identifying patients at risk of developing Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS). This data encourages further research to support a unified dermatological model used to guide management of young pediatric patients who present with asymptomatic facial PWS.