title: The long-term effect of 1550 nm erbium:glass fractional laser in acne vulgaris.
abstract: We evaluated the short-term and long-term effects of the 1550 nm erbium:glass (Er:glass) fractional laser in the treatment of facial acne vulgaris. Forty-five (9 male and 36 female) acne patients were treated 4 times at 4-week intervals with the following parameters: 169 spot density and 15-30 mJ/cm(2) fluence. There was no control group. The laser spots were adjustable (maximum overlap: 20%) according to the treatment area, and delivered in rows in order to cover all the face. Clinical photographs were taken. The IGA scores and lesion counts were performed for each treatment. Their current state was obtained by phone call follow-up to determine the long-term effect and photographs were offered by themselves or taken in hospital. After four treatments, all patients had an obvious reduction of lesion counts and IGA score and the peak lesion counts decreased to 67.7% after the initial four treatment sessions. For long-term effect, 8 patients lost follow-up, hence 37 patients were followed-up. 8 patients were 2-year follow up, 27 at the 1-year follow-up, and all patients at the half-year follow-up. The mean percent reduction was 72% at the half-year follow-up, 79 at the 1-year follow-up and 75% at the 2-year follow-up. Side effects and complications were limited to transient erythema and edema, and few patients suffered from transient acne flare-ups and sensitivity. All patients responded that their skin was less prone to oiliness. In conclusion, acne can be successfully treated by 1550 nm Er:glass fractional laser, with few side effects and prolonged acne clearing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Yale
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China. zengwh88@126.com.
authors.forename: Weihui
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Die
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Smita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Songmei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Shengxiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Guanglei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D000328:Adult; D005145:Face / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 1550 nm Er:glass fractional laser; Acne vulgaris; Long-term effect