title: Fractional photothermolysis improves a depressed alar scar following Mohs micrographic surgery.
abstract: Fractional photothermolysis (FPT; Fraxel SR laser) is a 1550 nm non-ablative erbium laser device with a variety of clinical applications. FPT has been used to treat photodamage, photoaging, melasma, actinic keratoses and acne scarring. We present the case of a 49-year-old woman with a depressed 0.7 x 0.5 cm alar scar resulting from Mohs micrographic surgery for basal cell carcinoma with secondary intention healing. She was treated with FPT initially eight weeks post-operatively. FPT was performed a total of five times at four-week intervals. At the completion of FPT, the scar was nearly imperceptible and has remained so eighteen months later. To the authors' knowledge, treatment of facial scars resulting from Mohs micrographic surgery for cutaneous malignancy has not previously been reported.
authors.affiliation: Town Square Dermatology, Coralville, IA 52241, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Hobart W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Walling
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005145:Face / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery