Treatment of Verrucae with Flashlamp-pumped Pulsed Dye Laser

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Warts are common virus-induced lesions that are troublesome to treat, especially in children. Recently, some trials have suggested that the pulsed dye laser may also be useful for the treatment of warts. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness and safety of 585nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser treatment of warts. METHODS: Fifty patients representing a total of 265 warts were recruited for the study. Patients were treated using the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser with a pulse duration of 450 sec, a spot size of 5mm, and energy fluence ranging between 7 to 9 J/cm2. Patients in whom no visible evidence of warts remained before 5 treatment sessions were classified as 'cured'. RESULTS: The cure rates were 89% for hand warts, 21% for plantar warts, 58% for periungual or subungual warts, 98% for limb warts and 100% for facial warts. Significant difference in the clearance rate of warts was found according to the maximum diameter of warts (≤0.3cm, >0.3cm) (<0.05). CONCLUSION: The 585nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser had potential effectiveness for the treatment of small warts on the hands, face, and limbs, but it is less effective for plan-tar warts, or larger warts.