title: Carbon dioxide laser treatment of epidermal nevi: response and long-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidermal nevi, which are benign skin growths, have been treated using a range of approaches, with varying results. Topical treatments are ineffective and, while surgical excision is a more definitive treatment, it causes scar formation. In recent decades, epidermal nevi have been treated with various types of laser therapy. We describe our experience with the use of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) laser therapy to treat epidermal nevi and inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevi (ILVEN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients (15 with epidermal nevi and 5 with ILVEN) underwent CO(2) laser treatment at our hospital between 2002 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response was good (>50% reduction in lesion size) in 50% of cases and excellent (>75% reduction) in 30%. A greater resistance to treatment was observed in patients with ILVEN (only 40% had a good response). Long-term follow-up (at least 18 months) showed a recurrence rate of 30%. The side effects were hypopigmentation (25% of patients) and scarring (20%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We consider CO(2) laser therapy to be the treatment of choice for epidermal nevi as it is well tolerated and has proven to be safe and effective in the long term. While the response in patients with ILVEN was limited, CO(2) laser therapy might be a good option for selected cases or for palliative treatment since no other treatments have yet proven effective in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain. letticiaac@gmail.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alonso-Castro
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boixeda
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reig
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Daniel-Rodríguez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fleta-Asín
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jaén-Olasolo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009506:Nevus / Q000601:surgery; D054000:Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult