Non-ablative 1064 nm Nd:Yag in the treatment of facial atrophic acne scars in patients with skin types II-V: histological and clinical analysis / Estudo clínico e histopatológico das cicatrizes de acne em pacientes fototipo II-V após irradiação com o laser Nd:Yag 1064 nm

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

troduction: Post-acne scarring is a very distressing and difficult problem for both physicians and patients. Atrophic scar revision techniques, although numerous, have been hampered by inadequate clinical responses and prolonged postoperative recovery periods. Nonablative laser treatment has shown significant effect on dermal collagen remodeling with minimal posttreatment side effects. Objectives: To study the efficacy and safety of the nonablative 1064 nm neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:Yag) laser in the treatment of facial atrophic scars: a histological and clinical analysis. Casuistry and Method: Twelve subjects (skin phototypes II-V) with mild to severe atrophic facial acne scars received five-monthly treatment with 1064 nm Nd:Yag laser (120 J/cm², triple pulse, 7.0/7.0/7.0- millisecond pulse duration, 75-millisecond delay). Patients were evaluated by using digital photography that were taken before treatment, in the middle of the treatment and 6 months after the last treatment was performed. Histologic evaluations of cutaneous biopsies were obtained before treatment and 1 month after the last session.The quantification of collagen and elastic fibers, per area, was carried out through the use of morphometry before and after the treatment, with image analysis by computer (digital method). Patient satisfaction surveys and clinical assessment by three dermatologists using a standard grading scale were obtained at the end of the study. Results: Mild to moderate clinical improvement was observed after the series of five treatments in the majority of patients studied. Objective assessment of scar improvement by comparing baseline to posttreatment photographs reported visible cosmetic improvement in eleven patients. All patients were satisfied with the treatment. The collagen quantification, per morphometry, showed a statistically significant increase after treatment. Side effects were limited to mild transient erythema and an increase in skin sensibility after the procedure. Conclusions: The 1064 nm Nd:Yag laser is a safe and effective nonablative modality for the treatment of atrophic scars. It can be safely used in darker skin. It could be an alternative in pacients who do not want a long downtime recovery and are satisfied with less significant results than those obtained by the resurfacing techniques

ASSUNTO(S)

lasers acne vulgar collagen histological techniques cicatriz cicatrix lasers acne vulgaris colágeno técnicas histológicas

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