Open Access308-nm excimer lamp for the treatment of alopecia areata: Clinical trial on 16 cases
Author(s) -
Akiko Ohtsuki,
Toshio Hasegawa,
Etsuko Komiyama,
Atsushi Takagi,
Junko Kawasaki,
Shigaku Ikeda
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
indian journal of dermatology/indian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.395
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1998-3611
pISSN - 0019-5154
DOI - 10.4103/0019-5154.113954
Subject(s) - alopecia areata , excimer , medicine , excimer laser , dermatology , laser , optics , physics
Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is considered as a T-cell mediated autoimmune disorder. The 308-nm excimer laser is thought to be capable of inducing T-cell apoptosis in vitro, suggesting that the 308-nm excimer lamp (not laser) might be effective for the treatment of AA. We examined the effectiveness of the 308-nm excimer lamp for treating AA. Materials and Methods: We treated 16 patients with single AA and multiple AA (MAA). The lesions were irradiated with a 308-nm excimer lamp at 2-week intervals. Results: Hair regrowth was observed in 14 patients. Among them, 10 patients showed more than 50% hair re-growth. Our results suggested that the 308-nm excimer lamp system is effective and safe for the treatment of single AA and MAA. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the 308-nm excimer lamp is a good therapeutic alternative without serious side effect for treating AA