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Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of the 308 nm Excimer Laser for the Treatment of Localized Psoriasis in Adults and in Children: A Pilot Study
Author(s) -
Pahlajani Niraj,
Katz Brian J.,
Lozano Ann Marie,
Murphy Frank,
Gottlieb Alice
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1470.2005.22216.x
Subject(s) - medicine , psoriasis , excimer , dermatology , excimer laser , surgery , laser , physics , optics
The 308‐nm excimer laser has been shown to be safe and efficacious in the treatment of localized mild‐to‐moderate plaque‐type psoriasis in adults. However, the laser's safety and efficacy has not yet been demonstrated in children. Four of seven children with a mean age of 11.0 years and 12 of 18 adults with a mean age of 48.8 years completed the full protocol. The most common reason for incompletion was noncompliance unrelated to side effects. Both the children (p = 0.0200) and the adult groups (p = 0.0009) yielded a significant decrease in psoriatic severity scores of their respective target lesions. The children group had a greater reduction (p = 0.008) from a mean baseline target (PSS) of 5.75 ± 1.71 to final of 0.50 ± 0.58 (91.3% reduction) as compared to the adult treatment group from a mean baseline psoriatic severity score of 5.00 ± 1.15 to final of 1.92 ± 1.11 (61.6% reduction). However, there was no statistical difference between the mean total treatments required to achieve this result (p = 0.112). Side effects were common, albeit minor and well tolerated. In conclusion, the 308 nm excimer laser appears to be a safe and effective treatment for localized psoriasis in children as well as in adults.