ABSTRACT
Angiokeratomas are vascular malformations that are clinically or histologically verrucous, with superficial vessels just beneath the epidermis. Solitary angiokeratomas occur most commonly as a small, warty, black papule on the lower extremities. Various therapeutic methods, including laser, electrocoagulation, excision, and cryotherapy, may be used for their treatment. A 13-year-old girl presented to the laser clinic for the treatment of her lesions that were present for two months. A 1064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet) laser was used to treat the patient's lesions. We performed two laser treatment sessions at a 4-week interval. We saw the patient 1 month after the last treatment session and obtained successful cosmetically acceptable results. No recurrence was observed over a follow-up period of 3 months. Long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser is more effective for the treatment of hyperkeratotic angiokeratomas due to deeper skin penetration of laser. Long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser is an effective and safe therapeutic option for the treatment of solitary angiokeratomas.
Subject(s)
Angiokeratoma/radiotherapy , Lasers, Solid-State/therapeutic use , Low-Level Light Therapy/instrumentation , Skin Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Adolescent , Female , HumansABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a vascular tumor that affects the skin and other organs. Several therapeutic options are available, but the optimal therapy is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of cryotherapy in the treatment of KS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients were evaluated. Cryotherapy was applied using liquid nitrogen. Each treatment consisted of two freeze-thaw cycles, with freezing times ranging from 15 to 40 seconds per cycle. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-five lesions were treated in an average of 3.2 sessions. Complete response was observed in 19 (63%) of the 30 patients after cryotherapy treatment with no recurrence. The subjects tolerated cryotherapy well. Blistering occurred frequently, but local pain was limited. There were no secondary infections. CONCLUSION: Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy is safe and cost-efficient and can be readily adopted as an effective primary therapy for cutaneous KS lesions that respond slowly or show incomplete cosmetic improvement after systemic therapies.
Subject(s)
Cryotherapy , Sarcoma, Kaposi/therapy , Skin Neoplasms/therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Blister/etiology , Cryotherapy/adverse effects , Cryotherapy/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nitrogen , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine an effective mode of therapy of ingrown nail using two different methods. METHODS: Patients with the diagnosis of stage 2 or 3 ingrown nails were included and divided into two groups. In the first group, partial matrixectomy was performed using electrocautery after partial nail extraction; in the second group, partial matrixectomy using cryotherapy was performed after partial nail extraction. RESULTS: The study included 53 patients with ingrown nails. Patient ages ranged from 11 to 79 years (median 31.8 ± 16.9). No relapse was observed in 96.2% of the patients after a follow-up period of 3-12 months (n = 51). Matrixectomy in 71.7% (n = 38) of patients was successful. Matrixectomy using electrocautery was successful in 18 of 29 patients. Matrixectomy using cryotherapy was successful in 20 of 24 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Matrixectomy should be added to the treatment of ingrown nails. There was no significant difference between electrocautery and cryotherapy in terms of relapse. In patients with advanced stages of ingrown nails, partial nail extraction combined with matrixectomy using cryotherapy is an effective method of treatment.
