title: Treatment of small congenital nevocellular naevi using a combination of ultrapulse carbon dioxide laser and Q-switched frequency-doubled Nd-YAG laser.
abstract: This report describes treatment combining Ultrapulse CO(2) laser and Q-switched frequency-doubled neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd-YAG) laser for a number of congenital nevocellular naevi (CNN). The Ultrapulse CO(2) laser removes the superficial component, which contains most of the color, preserving the integrity of the reticular dermis. At a later stage, any residual color is targeted using the Nd-YAG laser. To date, a total of 10 histologically proven CNNs have been treated at the Laser Suite. The median age of the patients was 18 years (range, 13-24 years). All the patients were white females. The patients accepted for treatment had relatively small lesions (mean surface area, 352 mm(2); range, 50-1,092 mm(2)), but the lesions were either cosmetically sensitive or located in an anatomically critical area in which excision could result in a scar that would be unpredictable. The median follow-up period was 24 months. The overall results have been satisfactory, with reduction of color and no significant scarring. The minor textural and pigmentary changes were acceptable to the patients.
authors.affiliation: Laser Suite, St. John's Hospital, Livingston, Scotland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Nakib
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Quaba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004416:Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome / Q000151:congenital* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide