Psychological disabilities amongst patients with port wine stains

Abstract

In a questionnaire study to assess psychological disabilities in 110 patients with port wine stains, 71 completed questionnaires were analysed. The questionnaire revealed a high level of psychological morbidity resulting from a feeling of stigmatization amongst these patients that was not apparent in casual social intercourse. In contrast, standard psychological screening tests for psychiatric illness, depression or anxiety revealed that these patients had similar or less evidence of morbidity than controls or other patient groups. It would appear that patients with port wine stains suffer a considerable degree of psychological morbidity which they suppress. This may be related to a need to hide their port wine stain.