Laser treatment of dyschromia with a novel 607 nm pulsed-dye laser

Due to the hemoglobin-selective wavelength of the 595 nm pulsed-dye laser, it is a device of choice for treating cutaneous vascular lesions. However, it is less effective and removing dyschromia, which along with hypervascularity is a cardinal sign of cutaneous photodamage. A novel 607 nm dye laser was developed as a first step in creating a dual-wavelength pulsed-dye laser.

Twenty-five subjects with dyschromia on the chest due to chronic photodamage were enrolled into an open-label study to explore the safety and efficacy of a 607 nm pulsed-dye laser, with 22 completing the study. Two treatments were administered to the chest, one month apart, with fluences ranging from 3-6 J/cm,2 using a 10 mm diameter spot and pulse duration of 1.5 msec. Cross-polarized digital photographs were taken before and two months following the final treatment and rated for improvement by physicians in a blinded fashion.

Improvement was rated on a five-point scale with no subjects rated as poor(less than 25%) clearance, three subjects (13.6%) demonstrating fair (26-50%) improvement, seven subjects (31.8%) rated as good (51-75%) improvement, 12 (54.5%) were rated as excellent (76-95%) improvement, while none were rated as outstanding improvement (greater than 95%).

This is the first study of the 607 nm pulsed-dye laser which showed it to be safe and effective for treating dyschromia of the chest due to chronic photodamage, and may in the future expand the ability of the pulsed-dye laser to treat photodamaged skin.