Successful treatment of late-onset nevus comedonicus with Er:YAG laser.

Nevus comedonicus, a rare congenital hamartoma of the pilosebaceous unit, is characterized by keratotic plugging. It usually occurs after birth and during early childhood. It rarely appears in adulthood. Despite the benign nature of the condition, it usually requires treatment due to aesthetic reasons. Several treatments have been reported in nevus comedonicus, most of them resulting with recurrences. Here, we report a case of nevus comedonicus with adult onset, successfully treated with erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser therapy.

Injertos y colgajos en pacientes sometidos a quimio o radioterapia: son seguros?: revisión de la literatura / Is it safe do grafts or flaps in a patient being treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy?: literature review

Es conocido que la radiación ha sido asociada a una cicatrización disminuida de las heridas, necrosis grasa y decoloración. La quimioterapia, por otra parte, se ha descrito con efectos adversos como infección, necrosis, contractura o deformación de los colgajos. Los antecedentes previos son los causantes de cierta confusión al enfrentar pacientes oncológicos que durante su evolución requieren solucionar defectos de piel y tejidos blandos: es seguro realizar injertos o colgajos en un paciente que está siendo tratado con quimio o radioterapia? Por medio de la revisión de la literatura publicada buscamos dar respuesta a esta interrogante.

It is known that the radiation has been associated with decreased wound healing, fat necrosis and bleaching. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, has been described with side effects as infection, necrosis, contraction or deformation of the flaps. The previous history are causing some confusion that may arise when facing cancer patients that during their evolution require fix skin and soft tissue defects: is it safe do grafts or flaps in a patient being treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy? Through the review of the published literature we seek to answer this question.

Reduction of pain in the treatment of vascular lesions with a pulsed dye laser and pneumatic skin flattening.

The treatment of vascular lesions, including port wine stains (PWSs), with a pulsed dye laser is very painful and often requires general anaesthesia. This is particularly problematic with children. Pneumatic skin flattening (PSF) is a new technology that naturally reduces pain in laser-based aesthetic treatments. The objective of this study was to test pain reduction, as well as lesional clearance, by combining pneumatic skin flattening (PSF) technology with a pulsed dye laser in the treatment of vascular lesions. Twenty-one patients (three of them children) were treated for vascular lesions, mostly PWSs (13 patients). The patients were treated with a 595 nm pulsed dye laser operated at energies of 5.75-13.25 (median 9.25) J/cm(2). Acute pain was evaluated in all 21 patients. Topical anaesthetic (EMLA cream) was applied before treatment in six cases. Identical energies were applied to both sites. The pain during PSF treatment was compared to pain during regular treatment without PSF. Blanching response to treatment was evaluated in 18 patients after 6-12 weeks. Significant pain reduction was observed in 21/21 patients (100%). The average reduction in pain score was from 10 without PSF (painful) to 2.6 with PSF (comfortable). Follow-up examination of 18 patients after 6-12 weeks showed identical blanching of tissue in both the PSF-treated areas and those not treated with PSF in all patients. It was concluded that the PSF technology significantly reduced pain in the treatment of vascular lesions with a pulsed dye laser without affecting efficacy.

Láser y otras fuentes de luz en el tratamiento de manchas en vino de Oporto / Laser treatment of Port wine stain

El tratamiento con láser de lesiones vasculares cutáneas está avanzando rápidamente en los últimos años. La mancha en vino de Oporto (Port wine stain [PWS]) es una de las primeras lesiones tratadas con láser con éxito. El láser de colorante pulsado (PDL) se ha desarrollado basándose en el concepto de la fototermólisis selectiva y ha supuesto una revolución en el tratamiento de PWS. Sin embargo, la respuesta obtenida es variable, alcanzándose un aclaramiento sustancial del color de la lesión tras varias sesiones. Diversos estudios demuestran que la modificación de parámetros del PDL como el aumento en la amplitud de pulso, mayor longitud de onda, o fluencias más altas asociadas a un sistema de enfriamiento, consiguen un aumento en la selectividad y mejoran la respuesta. Por otra parte, lesiones profundas, gruesas o sobreelevadas responden pobremente a los tratamientos convencionales. El objetivo de nuestro estudio es la revisión de los distintos tipos de láser así como otras fuentes de luz que se están desarrollando para el tratamiento de éstas y otras lesiones vasculares

Laser treatment of vascular skin lesions is rapidly improving. Port wine stain (PWS) is one of the first lesions successfully treated with laser. The pulsed dye laser (PDL) has been developed on the concept of selective photothermolysis and has revolutionized PWS treatment. Eventhough the response is variable, substantial blanching can be obtained after several sessions. Greater selectivity and better response have been achieved by modifying PDL parameters such as longer pulse width, longer wavelength, or higher energy fluencies with cooling skin devices. It is known that thick, deep or raised lesions present poor response to conventional treatments. The aim of this study is to review the different lasers and other light sources which are developing for the treatment of PWS and other vascular lesions

Combining two excitation wavelengths for pulsed photothermal profiling of hypervascular lesions in human skin.

When pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) is used for depth profiling of hypervascular lesions in human skin, melanin absorption also heats the most superficial skin layer (epidermis). Determination of lesion depth may be difficult when it lies close to the epidermal dermal junction, due to PPTR's limited spatial resolution. To overcome this problem, we have developed an approximation technique, which uses two excitation wavelengths (585 and 600 nm) to separate the vascular and epidermal components of the PPTR signal. This technique permits a noninvasive determination of lesion depth and epidermal thickness in vivo, even when the two layers are in close physical proximity to each other. Such information provides the physician with guidance in selecting the optimal parameters for laser therapy on an individual patient basis.