Effective treatment of leg vein telangiectasia with a new 940 nm diode laser.
BACKGROUND
A variety of lasers have been used in an attempt to treat leg vein telangiectasia


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of a new 940 nm diode laser for the treatment of leg vein telangiectasia.


METHODS
Thirty-one patients with leg vein telangiectasia were treated with a diode laser; 26 of these with 940 nm, 300-350 J/cm2, 40-70 msec, 1.0 mm handpiece, one pass, and 5 of these with 940 nm, 815 J/cm2, 50 msec, 0.5 mm handpiece, one pass. Each subject had three treatments of the same site at 4-week intervals. Photographs taken before and 4 weeks after the last treatment were evaluated by two independent observers for vessel clearance.


RESULTS
In those 26 patients treated with a fluence of 300-350 J/cm2, a vessel clearance of greater than 50% was achieved in 20 patients (76%), 12 of these patients had clearance rates greater than 75%. A clearance rate of less than 50% was obtained in six patients, with three of these patients showing responses of less than 25%. In five patients treated with a fluence of 815 J/cm2 a clearance rate of more than 75% was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
In this preliminary study a 940 nm diode laser was shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of leg vein telangiectasia.
Kaudewitz
P
P
Department of Dermatology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Klövekorn
W
W
Rother
W
W
D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects; D007866:Leg; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000532:radiotherapy*