1064 Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of chronic paronychia: a pilot study

Paronychia, which can be acute or chronic, is characterized by erythema, edema, and tenderness at the proximal and occasionally lateral nail folds. Causes of chronic paronychia include excessive moisture, contact irritants, trauma, and candida infection. Chronic paronychia is usually multifactorial and difficult to treat. The aim of the present work was to assess the role of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser as a new modality for the treatment of chronic paronychia. In this interventional pilot study, eight female patients suffering from long-standing paronychia received 2-5 Nd:YAG laser sessions (4 weeks apart). Fluences ranged between 70 to 80 J/cm(2), using a 2.5-mm spot size handpiece, and pulse duration was set at 0.7 ms. Patients were digitally photographed and clinically evaluated before starting the treatment and at each session. Seven of our patients showed various degree of improvement regarding erythema and swelling of their proximal nail folds. Nail plate abnormalities also improved in six patients. These preliminary results document the efficacy and feasibility of Nd:YAG laser as one of the treatments that could ameliorate chronic paronychia.