CO2 Laser Treatment of Epidermal Nevi

Er:YAG Laser Treatment of Verrucous Epidermal Nevi

“…In those studies, wound healing was complete in 14 to 28 days and was more delayed than our results. There have been anecdotal reports on the pulsed CO 2 laser treatment of verrucous epidermal nevi with excellent result 10,11 . However, short‐pulsed, high‐energy, and scanned CO 2 lasers still produce heat injury associated with postoperative erythema, sometimes persisting for months, a prolonged period of wound healing, and a considerable risk of pigmentary changes 14,15 .…”

“…Also, deeper resurfacing with repetitive pulse passes tends to enhance further the cumulative depth of tissue necrosis, thus increasing the risk of unnecessary side effects 16 . Boyce and Alster 11 reported the pulsed CO 2 laser treatment of three patients with epidermal nevi. In one of the three patients (33.3%), minimal recurrence was noted in the resurfaced area 12 months after treatment.…”

“…The elimination of verrucous epidermal nevi by ablative laser devices has been suggested by several investigators. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Several studies have been performed using CO 2 lasers either in the pulsed mode or the continuous-wave mode. 7-11 Ratz et al 8 first reported treatment of verrucous epidermal nevi with continuous-wave CO 2 laser.…”

“…4,5 Reported surgical therapies include liquid nitrogen, dermabrasion, surgical excision, ruby laser, 585-nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed-dye laser, argon laser, CO 2 laser, and the Er:YAG laser. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Surgical excision has been advocated as the most reliable therapy, but it results in a permanent scar. 1,6 In reviewing the literature, there are only two articles aimed specifically at Er:YAG treatment of epidermal nevi, 12,13 and because of short-term follow-up and the small series of treated patients, it is difficult to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Er:YAG laser in the treatment of verrucous epidermal nevi.…”

Update on Epidermal Nevi and Associated Syndromes

“…Definitive treatment involves full-thickness excision, which may not be possible in large or extensive lesions. Carbon dioxide laser is an alternative option; however, scarring and pigmentary alteration are potential complications, especially in patients with darker skin types [10,11]. Recently, methylaminolevulinate photodynamic therapy has been reported as successful in a single case [12].…”