Saturday, May 26, 2012

Table of Contents

Definition

A port-wine stain is a birthmark in which swollen blood vessels create a reddish-purplish discoloration of the skin.


Alternative Names

Nevus flammeus


Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Port-wine stains occur in about 3 out of 1,000 people.

Port-wine stains rarely may be a sign of Sturge-Weber syndrome or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome.



Review Date: 05/13/2011
Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.  Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)