ABSTRACT
For years, the traditional 577 to 585-nm pulsed dye laser has provided safe and effective treatment for many facial vascular lesions. Currently, interest is focused on how selective epidermal cooling, longer wavelengths, and varied pulse durations may expand the pulsed dye laser's therapeutic range to include treatment-resistant port wine stains, nonablative wrinkle reduction, scar revision, and nonsurgical flap delay. Despite these manipulations, the generation of objectionable purpura remains a concern to patients with limited lesions. To this effect, a long pulsed 532-nm laser has recently become available. This laser is effective for the treatment of facial telangiectasias and does not cause any purpura. It has had minimal complications in two series.
Subject(s)
Facial Dermatoses/surgery , Laser Therapy , Skin Diseases, Vascular/surgery , Cicatrix/surgery , Humans , Laser Therapy/instrumentation , Laser Therapy/methods , Port-Wine Stain/surgery , Skin Aging , Telangiectasis/surgeryABSTRACT
Laser hair removal has made possible the permanent reduction of unwanted hair. However, this technology remains far from perfect. Many advances have occurred in the past several years to improve laser hair removal, including lengthening pulse widths and adding mechanisms to cool the skin during treatment. These advances have improved results and broadened the scope of patients who are candidates for this procedure. This article reviews the latest advances as well as the various laser hair removal systems currently available.
Subject(s)
Hair Removal/methods , Laser Therapy , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The Er:YAG laser provides superficial ablation and is generally used for more superficial rejuvenation. Three newer systems provide for thermal-coagulative and ablative properties. These systems are considered as intermediate resurfacing lasers, providing faster healing and results that are typically in between those of the CO2 and standard Er:YAG lasers. The use of traditional and combination Er:YAG lasers is reviewed along with preoperative and postoperative considerations.
Subject(s)
Dermatologic Surgical Procedures , Face/surgery , Laser Therapy , Cicatrix/surgery , Humans , Laser Therapy/adverse effects , Laser Therapy/methods , Postoperative Care , Skin AgingABSTRACT
Bipolar radiofrequency resurfacing is a new technology for the treatment of facial skin changes, including photoaging, rhytids, scars, and selected facial lesions. It is efficacious in the treatment of these problems and offers a quicker recovery than that of carbon dioxide laser resurfacing.
Subject(s)
Dermatologic Surgical Procedures , Electrosurgery , Skin Aging , Electrosurgery/adverse effects , Electrosurgery/instrumentation , Electrosurgery/methods , Face/surgery , Humans , Postoperative CareABSTRACT
Focused ultrasound was applied at the lateral semicircular canal in 19 patients and at the round window in 12 patients, all of whom had intractable vertigo caused by Meniere's disease. Postoperatively, the vertigo was relieved or diminished in 75% of the lateral canal cases and in 25% of the round window cases. The results indicate that the lateral canal approach may have some therapeutic value, but the treatment is arduous for the patient and the risk of facial palsy is always nettlesome. Utilizing similar techniques, ultrasound irradiation was given to the lateral canals of 6 squirrel monkeys and to the round windows of 15 cats. After survival times of up to 3 months, light microscopic studies of the temporal bones of these animals show no morphological changes which can be attributed to the ultrasound irradiation. In general, these findings are in concert with the reports of other investigators and show that selective ablation of the vestibular sense organs cannot be achieved by current techniques of ultrasound irradiation. It seems doubtful that prolonged relief of vertigo can be expected to occur without a more complete morphological ablation of the vestibular sense organs than is possible with the current methods of ultrasound treatment.
Subject(s)
Meniere Disease/complications , Ultrasonic Therapy/methods , Vertigo/therapy , Adult , Aged , Animals , Female , Humans , Male , Meniere Disease/therapy , Middle Aged , Round Window, Ear , Saimiri , Semicircular Canals , Temporal Bone/pathology , Vertigo/etiologyABSTRACT
From 1965-1978 over 2,700 patients were admitted to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary or the Massachusetts General Hospital with carcinoma of the oropharynx, larynx or nasopharynx; only 36 of these patients were less than 40 years of age. Twelve patients had oropharyngeal carcinoma, 13 patients had laryngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinoma, and 11 patients had nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Analysis of these patients indicates an increased incidence of head and neck cancer in younger females. In patients less than age 31 there was no significant social history which contributed to early onset of disease. The younger patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma survived longer than patients of all ages with comparable neoplasms. The survival of patients with oropharyngeal, laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma is comparable to survival in patients of all ages with similar lesions.
