title: Clinical comparative study between cryotherapy and local dermabrasion for the treatment of solar lentigo on the back of the hands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Solar lentigo is a common and unsightly dermatosis that has a variety of proposed treatments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was done to assess the efficacy and the effectiveness of localized dermabrasion compared with cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen on solar lentigo on the back of the hands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten female patients aged 64-96 years with solar lentigo on the back of the hands were treated with dermabrasion or cryotherapy and observed over a 6-month period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postsurgery signs and symptoms were less intense and better tolerated with localized dermabrasion. More than 50% of the patients treated with cryotherapy still had hypochromia in the treated areas 6 months after treatment, compared with 11% of the patients treated with dermabrasion. The percentage of recurrence was the same with the both treatments (55.55%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Localized dermabrasion is an efficacious and effective technique comparable to cryotherapy for the treatment of solar lentigo on the back of the hands.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. dohexsel@zaz.com.br
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hexsel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazzuco
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bohn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Gobbato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects; D003869:Dermabrasion / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007911:Lentigo / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome