[The neodymium YAG laser: its application in dermatology]

The neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet-(Nd:YAG) laser is one of the most versatile and interesting lasers in dermatological laser medicine. Almost no other laser has such a wide spectrum of applications. Depending on wave length (1064 nm, frequency-doubled 532 nm) and mode (continuous, Q-switched, long-pulsed), benign pigmented lesions (tattoos, traumatic tattoos, naevus of Ota, cafe-au-lait-macules, lentigines) and vascular lesions (hemangiomas, portwine stains, essential teleangiectasias, angiomas) can be treated. Additionally this laser has been occasionally used to remove Kaposi sarcomas and epithelial skin tumors.