ORIGINAL ARTICLE Cutaneous vascular lesions and their management in Indian setting Resham J. Vasani*, Deepshikha Khanna†& Archana Singal‡ *Department of Dermatology and STD, K. J. Somaiya Medical College and Research Centre, Mumbai, †Department of Dermatology and STD, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya and ‡Department of Dermatology and STD, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India ABSTRACT: Indian skin with its broad range of skin color and complexion differs in the presentation and management of cutaneous vascular lesions. Common congenital and acquired vascular lesions are discussed with respect to the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and management strategies in an Indian setting. An effort has been made to review indian case reports and studies of cutaneous vascular lesions, potential possible modification in the conventional treatment considering resource con- straints, cultural practices, availability and cost-effectiveness of the laser and light sources, camouflage techniques, and sclerotherapy. The review concludes with emphasis on the need of availability of cost-effective, quality equipment customized to Indian skin and quality studies and trials for the management of cutaneous vascular lesions in an Indian setting. KEYWORDS: hemangioma, port-wine stain, pyogenic granuloma Introduction The prevalence, clinical presentation, and man- agement of cutaneous vascular lesions in the Indian skin differ from the West owing to its broad range of skin color. In addition, existing social and cultural practices contribute to negative impact of these lesions on the quality of life. These differ- ences are important as failure of their recognition can lead to inappropriate choice of treatment resulting in potentially disfiguring complications. We review the common congenital and acquired vascular lesions with special emphasis on the incidence, age and sex distribution, and clini- cal presentation with reference to Indian skin. Furthermore, their management in the Indian setting including use of lasers and light devices, sclerotherapy and camouflage techniques with regard to the availability, cost-effectiveness, and treatment challenges in Indian skin are discussed. Congenital vascular lesions Hemangioma Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common benign tumors of infancy. The word hemangioma is a Latin word, hemangio meaning blood vessel and oma meaning tumor. IH tends to have a distinctive life cycle characterized by an initial proliferative phase followed by stabilization Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Archana Singal, MD, Department of Dermatology and STD, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi 110 095, India, or email: archanasingal@hotmail.com. 358 Dermatologic Therapy, Vol. 25, 2012, 358–375 Printed in the United States · All rights reserved © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY ISSN 1396-0296