Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser treatment for onychomycosis - is it really effective? A prospective assessment for efficiency and factors contributing to response

Onychomycosis is a highly prevalent and persistent nail disorder primarily caused by dermatophytes. The effectiveness of current topical and systemic antifungals is limited by the extent and severity of the infection, patient demographics and health status, hepatic toxicity, drug interactions and low compliance. Laser therapy is a promising modality for safe and cost-effective removal of mycotic nail. This prospective study assessed the performance of a multi-series long-pulsed Nd:YAG 1064 nm regimen (30-40 J/cm2 , 1 Hz) in the treatment of 213 mycotic nails in 31 patients. Pain and discomfort were scored at each treatment session and mycological and clinical cure rates were determined 3 months after the last treatment session. Patients presented with mostly severe (mean SCIO score: 21.9 ± 8.9), T. rubrum-positive (87.1%) infections. Most (61%) had a family history of onychomycosis and a significant proportion had comorbidities, including hypertension (38.7%), hyperlipidemia (35.5%) and/or diabetes (12.9%). Treatment was well tolerated and there were no reports of nail deformity or burns. By 3 months post-treatment, mycological cure was achieved by 4 (12.9%) and visual improvements were noted for 10 (32.3%) patients, including 3 (9.7%) with moderate to significant improvements. Clinical response correlated with baseline SCIO ≤ 20 (OR: 0.9 [0.13-6.52]), family history of onychomycosis (OR: 0.27 [0.04-1.50]) and comorbidities (OR: 0.44 [0.05-3.74]). In conclusion, Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser is safe and effective for the management of mild-to-moderate onychomycosis in diverse populations. Further studies will be necessary to adjust treatment parameters to patient and nail profiles and to determine the impact of combined laser and topical therapies.

Laser treatment of infantile hemangioma

BACK GROUNDS AND OBJECTIVE

Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are common benign tumors of infancy. Most IH either involute spontaneously or respond to treatment with systemic Beta- blockers, but unfortunately not in all cases. In poor responses or in cases of contra indications for pharmacological treatment, laser treatment poses a very good solution.

METHODS

As a search strategy and study selection we searched the MEDLINE database via PubMed starting 1982 to June 2022 using a key terms related to interventions for IH (e.g., infantile hemangioma, laser, Beta blockers).

RESULTS

In this article, we reviewed the published data regarding the use of energy-based devices in treatment of children with IH, and noted our experience over the course of treating dozens of cases over the years.

CONCLUSION

There are many laser systems used for the treatment of hemangioma and vascular tumors. These laser systems are of different wavelengths and penetration depths, however, they operate by similar mechanisms and in some cases two or more lasers can be applied during the course of treating these lesions.