Treatment of onychomycosis with a 1,064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser.
BACKGROUND
There are various treatment modalities of onychomycosis. Of these, however, oral antifungal therapies are complicated by potential drug interactions and systemic effects, and the surgical treatment can result in prolonged pain. Therefore, a new, safe and effective therapy is needed that can improve the aesthetic appearance of the nails.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of treatment of onychomycosis with a 1,064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser.


METHODS
13 patients (31 toenails, 12 fingernails) received five treatment sessions at 4-week intervals with a 1,064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Parameters for each treatment were 6 mm spot size, 5 J/cm(2) fluence, 0.3 ms pulse duration and 5 Hz pulse rate.


RESULTS
Of the 13 patients, 8 (61.5%) were women and 5 were men. The mean age of the patients was 62. Of the 43 nails, 4 (9.3%) achieved a complete cure (9.3%), 8 had excellent treatment outcomes (18.6%) and 31 had good treatment outcomes (72%). None of the 13 patients experienced any discomfort except for a mild burning sensation and there were no adverse effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate that the 1,064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser could be a safe and effective treatment modality in the management of patients with onychomycosis.
Department of Dermatolgy, Hanyang University Hospital , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
Seong Hun
SH
Moon
Hoon
H
Hur
Young Jae
YJ
Oh
Kwang Ho
KH
Choi
Jeong Eun
JE
Kim
Joo Yeon
JY
Ko
Young Suck
YS
Ro
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
1,064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser; new; onychomycosis; safe and effective therapy