Treatment of mycosis fungoides using a 308-nm excimer laser: two case studies

Early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF) is most commonly treated with skin-directed therapies such as topical steroids, phototherapy (broadband or narrowband UVB), photochemotherapy (psoralen plus UVA), topical nitrogen mustard, and total skin electron-beam irradiation. Recently, several small studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the 308-nm excimer laser in the treatment of early-stage MF. This xenon-chloride laser, which emits monochromatic excimer light at the 308-nm wavelength, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat psoriasis since 1997 and to treat vitiligo since 2001. We report two patients in which patch-stage MF was treated with a 308-nm excimer laser. Our findings confirm previous observations that the 308-nm excimer laser is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated therapy for early stage MF.