Pulsed dye laser treatment of burn scars

Scar Treatment with Lasers: A Review and Update

“…The use of PDL (585-595 nm) in burn scars has been shown to significantly improve pruritus and pain within the scars [46], improve scar pliability and texture, reduce erythema and histologically reduce sclerosis without change in number of fibroblast [47]. Despite the positive results of PDL therapy in some burn scars, PDL laser penetration is limited to approximately 1.2 mm, which limits its effect in thick hypertrophic scars (> 1 cm) when used alone [46,48].…”

“…Despite the positive results of PDL therapy in some burn scars, PDL laser penetration is limited to approximately 1.2 mm, which limits its effect in thick hypertrophic scars (> 1 cm) when used alone [46,48]. PDL is best introduced in burn patients 3 to 6 months postburn.…”

Quantitative Assessment of Pulse Dye Laser Therapy in the Management of Hypertrophic Burn Scars

“…This setting reportedly targets vessels of approximately 40-80 um diameter. However, the average hypertrophic scar vessel was smaller (3.3-14.6 um) and further studies may indeed prove that shortening the pulse duration to target these vessels may prove to be more selective [21,32].…”

“…Many pioneering studies on PDL therapy has been focused on incisional scars [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. While the results have been generally positive, several centers have found less than enthusiastic results [17][18][19][20][21]. As an example, no difference in erythema was found in a prospective randomized controlled study on the effect of PDL on surgical hypertrophic scars in a cohort of 19 patients with average scar duration of 32 months [18].…”

“…As an example, no difference in erythema was found in a prospective randomized controlled study on the effect of PDL on surgical hypertrophic scars in a cohort of 19 patients with average scar duration of 32 months [18]. As much of the early focus of PDL therapy has been on surgical scars, few studies are limited to hypertrophic burn scars [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. A compilation of studies on hypertrophic incisional scars and hypertrophic burn scars are listed in Table 1a.…”