title: Successful treatment of atrophic scars from cutaneous leishmaniasis using a fractional laser.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cutaneous leishmaniasis can lead to unsightly atrophic scars, which have limited treatment options. There is a scarcity of literature on its treatment modalities. Fractional lasers have been successfully used in treating a variety of skin conditions with minimal downtime and side effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a successful treatment of a 25-year-old female patient with an atrophic scar from cutaneous leishmaniasis on the nose with a fractional laser (Fraxel Re:store SR 1500). Ten treatment sessions were performed at a pulse energy of 45 to 70 mJ. The treatment response was assessed by comparing pre- and posttreatment clinical photographs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After three sessions, the patient observed 40% improvement. More than 90% improvement was noticed after the tenth session. No significant adverse effects were noted. The improvement was persistent at the 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The excellent improvement in this patient should encourage further studies to achieve more efficacy and optimize the treatment parameters.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. kingderm@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Khalid M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Alghamdi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology