title: Treatment of verrucous epidermal nevus: experience with 71 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of 71 cases with verrucous epidermal nevus (VEN) treated by cryotherapy or CO2 laser.
  
  
  METHODS
  The files and photographs of patients with VEN who were treated in the laser unit of a tertiary hospital between January 2005 and December 2011 were evaluated. Pretreatment and 12-month follow-up photographs were evaluated using a 5-point scale: 'excellent' (75-100% clearance), 'good' (50-75% clearance), 'fair' (25-50% clearance), 'poor' (<25% clearance) or 'worse'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 71 patients, 62 responded well to cryotherapy alone, and 9 facial VEN required CO2 laser treatment. Small VEN required relatively few treatments (mean 3.4) with 90% scoring 'excellent' and 10% scoring 'good'. Larger VEN required more treatments (mean 7.4) and did not respond as well, with 71% scoring 'excellent', 14% scoring 'good' and 14% scoring 'fair'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experience suggests that cryotherapy is the ideal treatment for small facial VEN, while ablation by CO2 laser should be considered an option for resistant facial lesions.
authors.affiliation: Laser Unit, Department of Dermatology, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lapidoth
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Israeli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ben Amitai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Halachmi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017496:Hypopigmentation / Q000209:etiology; D007223:Infant; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D054000:Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult