Trial reportJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology2012
Enhanced port-wine stain lightening achieved with combined treatment of selective photothermolysis and imiquimod.
Trial report in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00585247 (Combining Topical Imiquimod 5% Cream With a Pulsed Dye Laser to Treat Port Wine Stain Birthmarks), which is not on this map. Cited by 25 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Combining Topical Imiquimod 5% Cream With a Pulsed Dye Laser to Treat Port Wine Stain Birthmarks
Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Tumors, Vascular Malformations, Lymphatic Malformations, and Lymphangiomatosis 2022.The Journal of dermatology · 2026Guideline
- Japanese clinical practice guidelines for vascular tumors, vascular malformations, lymphatic malformations, and lymphangiomatosis 2022.Japanese journal of radiology · 2026Guideline
- Japanese clinical practice guidelines for vascular tumors, vascular malformations, lymphatic malformations, and lymphangiomatosis 2022.Surgery today · 2026Guideline
- Laser and light-based treatments for port-wine birthmarks - a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG · 2025Pooled it
- The 595-nm Wavelength Pulsed Dye Laser for Pediatric Port-Wine Birthmarks and Infantile Hemangiomas: A Systematic Review.Lasers in surgery and medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Complication rates and safety of pulsed dye laser treatment for port-wine stain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2023Pooled it
- Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Anomalies 2017.The Journal of dermatology · 2020Guideline
- Japanese clinical practice guidelines for vascular anomalies 2017.Japanese journal of radiology · 2020Guideline
- Japanese clinical practice guidelines for vascular anomalies 2017.Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society · 2020Guideline
- Japanese clinical practice guidelines for vascular tumors, vascular malformations, lymphatic malformations, and Lymphangiomatosis 2022.Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric SocietyGuideline
- EMLA cream does not influence efficacy and pain reduction during pulsed-dye laser treatment of port-wine stain: a prospective side-by-side comparison.Lasers in medical science · 2018Trial
- Port-wine stains: molecular drivers, translational models, and emerging theragnostic directions.Lasers in medical science · 2026Review
- Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Tumors, Vascular Malformations, Lymphatic Malformations, and Lymphangiomatosis 2022.Journal of plastic and reconstructive surgery · 2026Review
- The Diagnosis and Treatment Technology of Port-Wine Stain, and the Prospect of Future Treatment.Dermatology and therapy · 2026Review
- Treatment of Port-Wine Birthmarks Using a Large-Spot, Variable Sequenced, Long-Pulsed KTP-Laser-A Retrospective Analysis.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Article
- EndothelialFrontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025Article
- Sturge-Weber Syndrome: A Review of Pathophysiology, Genetics, Clinical Features, and Current Management Approache.The application of clinical genetics · 2023Review
- A core outcome domain set for clinical research on capillary malformations (the COSCAM project): an e-Delphi process and consensus meeting.The British journal of dermatology · 2022Article
- Pathogenesis of Port-Wine Stains: Directions for Future Therapies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Site-specific pharmaco-laser therapy: A novel treatment modality for refractory port wine stains.Journal of clinical and translational research · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPulsed dye laser (PDL) is the gold standard for treatment of port-wine stain (PWS) birthmarks but multiple treatments are required and complete resolution is often not achieved. Posttreatment vessel recurrence is thought to be a factor that limits efficacy of PDL treatment of PWS. Imiquimod 5% cream is an immunomodulator with antiangiogenic effects.
objectiveWe sought to determine if application of imiquimod 5% cream after PDL improves treatment outcome.
methodsHealthy individuals with PWS (n = 24) were treated with PDL and then randomized to apply posttreatment placebo or imiquimod 5% cream for 8 weeks. Chromameter measurements (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage L∗a∗b∗ colorspace) for 57 PWS sites (multiple sites per patient) were taken at baseline and compared with measurements taken 8 weeks posttreatment. The Δa∗ (change in erythema) and ΔE (difference in color between normal-appearing skin and PWS skin) were measured to quantify treatment outcome.
resultsTwo patients developed minor skin irritation. Other adverse effects were not noted. Average ∆a∗ was 0.43 for PDL + placebo sites (n = 25) and 1.27 for PDL + imiquimod sites (n = 32) (P value = .0294) indicating a greater reduction in erythema with imiquimod. Average ∆E was 2.59 for PDL + placebo and 4.08 for PDL + imiquimod (P value = .0363), again indicating a greater color improvement with imiquimod. LIMITATIONS: Effects were evaluated after a single treatment and duration of effect is unknown.
conclusionCombined selective photothermolysis and antiangiogenic therapy may enhance PWS treatment efficacy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.