Carbon dioxide and pulsed dye laser treatment of angiofibromas in 29 patients with tuberous sclerosis

✍ Scribed by E. Papadavid; A. Markey; G. Bellaney; N.P.J. Walker

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 144 KB
• Volume: 147
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-0963
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04968.x

✦ Synopsis

Background:

Data on the benefits, adverse effects and appropriate types of laser treatment for angiofibromas (af) in patients with tuberous sclerosis (ts) are limited.

Objectives:

To evaluate the efficacy and side-effect profile of carbon dioxide (co2) 10,600 nm wavelength and flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye (flpdl) 585 nm wavelength lasers in a retrospective study of 29 patients with ts aged 9-48 years.

Methods:

Long-term results, based on clinical improvement of the vascular, fibrous or protuberant types of af and the presence or absence of side-effects on follow-up visits, were classified as excellent, moderate or poor.

Results:

Results were excellent in most patients with vascular-type af treated with one or two sessions of flpdl, but some required up to six treatment sessions. co2 lasers produced excellent results with considerable long-term improvement in 10 of 13 (77%) patients with fibrous or protuberant af, specifically in all (three of three) protuberant and 70% (seven of 10) of fibrous af. persistent hypertrophic scarring was seen in three of 13 (23%) patients with either fibrous or protuberant af treated with the continuous wavelength co2 laser. treatment with both lasers used in four patients with combined vascular and non-vascular af components was excellent in three of four (75%) patients. significant relapse was seen in one patient treated with the co2 laser.

Conclusions:

Co2 or flpdl laser treatment should be considered as an effective treatment for patients with disfiguring ts. a combination of lasers may be required to achieve optimal results.