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Carbon dioxide laser therapy of a widespread epidermal nevus
Author(s) -
Hohenleutner U.,
Wlotzke U.,
Konz B.,
Landthaler M.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.1900160311
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide laser , carbon dioxide , dermatology , nevus , laser therapy , medicine , laser , biology , cancer research , melanoma , optics , laser surgery , ecology , physics
Background and Objective : The treatment of epidermal nevi is difficult and often unsatisfactory. Many therapeutic approaches have been tried, of which the surgical methods including lasers aim to avoid recurrences and hypertrophic scarring. Here we report the case of a widespread, life‐impairing epidermal nevus, summarize the available treatment modalities, and discuss CO 2 laser therapy with respect to the clinically soft variants of these developmental defects. Study Design/Patients and Methods : A patient with a widespread, recurrent, biopsy‐proven epidermal nevus was treated with a 10,600‐nm CO 2 laser. After test treatments in local anaesthesia, four sessions were performed under general anaesthesia each with a follow‐up time of 4 years to date. Results : CO 2 laser vaporization resulted in complete removal of the treated nevus without any obvious scarring. The patient is free of recurrence 4 years postoperatively. Conclusion . CO 2 laser treatment of epidermal nevi is a useful modality in selected variants. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.