Pulsed dye laser for the treatment of hypergranulation tissue with chronic ulcer in postsurgical defects.
OBJECTIVE
Hypergranulation tissue may complicate postoperative wounds, causing them to become chronic nonhealing ulcers. There is no reliably effective treatment. We report the use of the 595-nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) for the treatment of wounds healing by second intention and complicated by hypergranulation tissue after Mohs micrographic surgery.


METHODS
In a retrospective case review, 9 patients with slow-healing or nonhealing postoperative wounds with hypergranulation tissue were treated with the 595-nm PDL. The majority of the wounds were located on the scalp, forehead, and temple.


RESULTS
All of the patients demonstrated dramatic improvement after one treatment. Most patients achieved complete or near complete re-epithelialization of the ulcers after 1 to 2 treatments. The PDL treatment required no local anesthesia, and there were no postlaser treatment complications reported.


CONCLUSIONS
The 595-nm PDL is an effective, safe, and reliable treatment to promote second intention healing in postsurgical wounds complicated by the formation of hypergranulation tissue.
Wang
Steven Q
SQ
Department of Medicine, Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 07920, USA. wangs@mskcc.org
Goldberg
Leonard H
LH
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D054025:Lasers, Dye / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing