Premium
Treatment of idiopathic onychodystrophy with a 1064 nm picosecond neodymium‐doped:yttrium aluminum garnet laser: A retrospective study
Author(s) -
Lee Yun Ho,
Lee Heun Joo,
Kim WonSerk,
Lee GaYoung,
Choi YoungJun
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of cosmetic dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.626
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1473-2165
pISSN - 1473-2130
DOI - 10.1111/jocd.13580
Subject(s) - medicine , adverse effect , neodymium , dermatology , laser , lesion , surgery , optics , physics
Background Laser treatment has emerged as a novel treatment modality for onychodystrophy. Only a few small series have assessed the efficacy of laser treatment in onychodystrophy, most of which were case reports. The therapeutic effect of the 1064 nm neodymium‐doped:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for onychodystrophy has been demonstrated. Recently, the picosecond Nd:YAG (PSNY) laser has been introduced to improve various skin disorders. Aims The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of a 1064 nm PSNY in management of idiopathic onychodystrophy. Methods We present a case series of dystrophic nails treated with a PSNY for onychodystrophy improvement. Planimetry using ImageJ software was used to calculate lesion reduction and proximal clear nail growth. Clinical improvement was assessed using a 5‐point Global Assessment Scale (GAS). Adverse events were also assessed. Results Twenty‐five patients (11 males and 14 females) with a total of 128 nails (94 finger nails and 34 toe nails) were treated. The mean treatment number was 8.7 ± 6.2, and the mean total duration of treatment was 33.4 ± 34.6 weeks. The average proportion of the lesion area decreased significantly (from 65.9% to 46.6%) after PSNY treatment ( P < .001). The mean GAS (3.16 ± 1.18) exhibited fair improvement, and there were no serious adverse events. Conclusion The 1064 nm PSNY laser can provide fair improvement for onychodystrophy with a good prognosis at least during the follow‐up period and optimal cosmetic results in Asian patients.