Initial experience with CO2 laser in treating dermatological conditions

CO2 laser was first used in the treatment of melanomas in animals. Since then, it has been successfully used in treating many dermatological conditions. A total of 47 patients were treated once as outpatients in Middle Road Hospital by using Model 720 Sharplan CO2 Laser System and Yoshida Opelaser-01 CO2 Laser System to determine the usefulness of CO2 laser in the treatment of various dermatological conditions. The laser was used mainly in the defocused mode at 10 watts. Local anaesthetic with 1% lignocaine HCL was employed in all cases. 3 patients defaulted follow-up. Of the 30 patients with warts, most of which were recalcitrant, 14 were cured and the remaining 16 showed marked improvement. 4 of the 5 patients with lichen simplex chronicus were cured. 1 patient each of the following conditions were also treated; prurigo nodularis, psoriasis, solar keratosis, ingrowing toe nail, Bowen's disease, infected callosity and lichen amyloidosis; cure was achieved in the former 4 conditions. The laser failed to cure 2 patients with pyogenic granuloma. Side effects included hypopigmentation (62%), mild post-operative pain (11%), scarring (11%), excess granulation tissue (11%), and infection (2%). CO2 laser is a potentially useful, effective and safe treatment modality for many dermatological conditions.