Article/Koh JooYeon, M.D., Ph.D. (Oh Eui Hyun, Kim Jeong Eun, Ro Young Suck)
Professor Department of Dermatology, Hanyang University Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
* Acceptable secondary publication
* This article was published in the Medical Lasers.
* The authors have received approval from the editors of the Medical Lasers and the D&PS.
Background and Objectives
Long-pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet(Nd:YAG) Lasers have recently been used for treatment of large, deep vascular lesions refractory to conventional vascular Lasers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of long-pulsed Nd:YAG Laser treatment of various vascular disorders.
Materials and Methods
Fourteen Korean patients underwent a single treatment session using a long-pulsed Nd:YAG Laser. Two blinded clinicians rated cosmetic outcomes using ‘Physician Global Assessment(PGA)’ based on standardized photographs. Patients’ subjective satisfaction and side-effects of treatment were evaluated after treatment.
Results
Five men and nine women were finally enrolled(mean age 45.4 ± 16.4 years) in this study. Thirteen of 14 patients(92.9%) had good or excellent PGA results. Ten of 14 patients were very satisfied or satisfied with the clinical results(71.4%), and all patients reported that immediate treatment discomfort was tolerable. Side effects were minimal; four patients(28.6%) reported erythema, vesicles, or hyperpigmentation which recovered without scarring.
Conclusion
Long-pulsed Nd:YAG Laser treatment is a safe and effective treatment modality for diverse vascular disorders that are unresponsive to conventional therapy.
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INTRODUCTION
Several Lasers emitting in the green and yellow range of the light spectrum, such as 585 nm and 595 nm pulsed dye Lasers(PDLs), the 532 nm KTP Laser, and the 578 nm copper vapor Laser, are standardly used to treat various vascular disorders including port wine stains, superficial hemangioma, and telangiectasia.1,2 Intense Pulsed Light(IPL)-emitting noncoherent broadband light is considered to be an effective treatment option for diverse vascular lesions.3 However, this treatment modality tends to be less effective for deeply-situated vascular lesions than superficial vascular lesions due to the limited penetration depth of light.4
A 1064nm long-pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet(Nd:YAG) Laser has been proven to be effective for the treatment of leg veins because of its deep penetration into the skin and homogenous heating of large vessel walls.2 Recently, the efficacy of long-pulsed Nd:YAG Laser treatment for various vascular disorders such as port wine stain, hemangioma, angiokeratoma, and venous lake was reported.5,6
In this study, we investigated the clinical efficacy, side effects, and subjective satisfaction of Korean patients after they underwent long-pulsed Nd:YAG Laser treatment for diverse vascular disorders.
REFERENCES
1. Omura NE, Dover JS, Arndt KA, Kauvar AN. Treatment of reticular leg veins with a 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd: YAG Laser. J Am Acad Dermatol 2003;48:76-81.
2. Lee JH, Na SY, Choi M, Park HS, Cho S. Long-pulsed Nd: YAG Laser: does it give clinical benefit on the treatment of resistant telangiectasia? J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2012;26:1280-4.
3. Faurschou A, Togsverd-Bo K, Zachariae C, Haedersdal M. Pulsed dye Laser vs. intense pulsed light for port-wine stains: a randomized side-by-side trial with blinded response evaluation. Br J Dermatol 2009;160:359-64.
4. Yang MU, Yaroslavsky AN, Farinelli WA, Flotte TJ, Rius-Diaz F, Tsao SS, et al. Long-pulsed neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet Laser treatment for port-wine stains. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005;52:480-90.
5. Civas E, Koc E, Aksoy B, Aksoy HM. Clinical experience in the treatment of different vascular lesions using a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet Laser. Dermatol Surg 2009;35: 1933-41.
6. Ozdemir M, Baysal I, Engin B, Ozdemir S. Treatment of angiokeratoma of Fordyce with long-pulse neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet Laser. Dermatol Surg 2009;35:92-7.
-To be continued
