A Retrospective Study on the Characteristics of Treating Nevus of Ota by 1064-nm Q-switched Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser.
BACKGROUND
The Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (QS Nd:YAG) laser has a significant effect in treating nevus of Ota, but there is lack of a retrospective study about the characteristics of efficacy.


OBJECTIVE
To retrospectively analyze the correlation between the clinical characteristics and efficacy, complications, recurrence of QS Nd:YAG laser in treating nevus of Ota.


METHODS
One hundred and seventy-one Chinese patients (144 female, 27 male) of nevus of Ota were treated with the 1064-nm QS Nd:YAG laser. All cases were treated with fluencies of 4-8 J/cm(2) and a spot size of 2-4 mm. Clinical photographs were taken before every treatment and patients were followed up by their clinicians.


RESULTS
One hundred and forty-five patients (84.8%) acquired more than 75% improvement with an average of 4.6 sessions. The treatment effect has no significant correlation with sex (P > 0.05). The blue-black and brown lesions improved more than the light-brown (P < 0.05). Hyperpigmentation affected two (1.2%) of the patients and hypopigmentation affected one patient (0.6%). No other adverse effect was observed. Recurrence was seen in two patients (1.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
The 1064-nm QS Nd:YAG laser is effective with rare complications and recurrence in the treatment of nevus of Ota. The efficacy correlated with lesion color, which is meaningful to estimate the prognosis.
Department of Dermatology, Northwest Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
Yanting
Y
Liu
Department of Dermatology, Northwest Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
Weihui
W
Zeng
Department of Dermatology, Northwest Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
Songmei
S
Geng
Efficacy; Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser; nevus of Ota