Port-wine stain

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Port wine stain on a child's face Sturge-Weber syndrome - legs

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Port-wine stain

A port-wine stain is a vascular (containing vessels) birthmark made ofenlarged capillaries in the skin, which produce a reddish-purplish discoloration of the skin.

Port-wine stains (PWS) are present at birth. Therate is 3 out of 1,000 people. Port-wine stains occur most often on the face but can appear anywhere on the body. Early stains are usually flat and pink in appearance. As the child matures, the color may deepen to a dark red or purplish color.

PWSmay cause emotional and social problems for the affected person because of their appearance. Port-wine stains that involve the upper and lower lids (trigeminal distribution) may be associated with the development of glaucoma.

PWS may be one of a group of symptoms and signs, perhaps as part of a syndrome such as Sturge-Weber syndrome or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome.

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