Laser pulse impact on rat mesenteric blood vessels in relation to laser treatment of port wine stain

Abstract

Background and objective: To study the impact of laser pulses on animal microvasculature as a model for laser treatment of port wine stains.

Study design/materials and methods: Rat mesenteric blood vessels were irradiated with a laser pulse (585 nm, 0.2-0.6 ms pulse duration, 0.5-30 J/cm(2) radiant exposure). Video microscopy was used to assess vessel dilation, formation of intravascular thrombi, bubble formation, and vessel rupture. Changes in reflection during a laser pulse were measured by simultaneously recording the temporal behavior of the incident and reflected signals.

Results: A threshold radiant exposure of approximately 3 J/cm(2) was found for changes in optical properties of blood in vivo, confirming previous in vitro results. Often, laser exposure induced a significant increase in vessel diameter, up to three times the initial diameter for venules and four times for arterioles, within 200 ms after laser exposure. Arterioles were more likely to dilate than venules. Sometimes, immediately after the pulse, round structures, interpreted as being gas bubbles, were seen within the vessel lumen.

Conclusions: A variety of phenomena can occur when blood vessels of sizes comparable to those in port wine stains are irradiated with laser pulses as used in port wine stain treatment. Thrombus formation and vessel rupture have been described before from histological sections of laser-irradiated port wine stains. However, vessel dilation and formation of non-transient gas bubbles as found in this study have not been described before.