title: Clinical laser treatment of toenail onychomycoses.
abstract: Onychomycoses are fungal infections of the fingernails or toenails having a prevalence of 3% among adults and accounts for 50% of nail infections. It is caused by dermatophytes, non-dermatophyte filamentous fungi, and yeasts. Compressions and microtraumas significantly contribute to onychomycosis. Laser and photodynamic therapies are being proposed to treat onychomycosis. Laser light (1064 nm) was used to treat onychomycosis in 156 affected toenails. Patients were clinically followed up for 9 months after treatment. Microbiological detection of fungal presence in lesions was accomplished. A total of 116 samples allowed the isolation of at least a fungus. Most of nails were affected in more than two thirds surface (some of them in the full surface). In 85% of cases, after 18 months of the onset of treatment, culture turned negative. After 3 months months, only five patients were completely symptom-free with negative culture. In 25 patients, only after 6 months, the absence of symptoms was achieved and the cultures negativized; in 29 patients, 9 months were required. No noticeable adverse effects were reported. This study reinforces previous works suggesting the applicability of laser therapies to treat toenail onychomycosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Department of Podiatry, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalacain
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merlos
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Department of Podiatry, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Planell
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Erica G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Cantadori
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vinuesa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Campus de Ciències de la Salut de Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. mvinyas@ub.edu.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viñas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000382:microbiology; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure
keywords: Laser 1064 nm; Onychomycosis; Toenail fungal infection