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Use of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy to Predict Treatment Efficacy in Café Au Lait Macules
Hao Peng1,2,3, Lingyue Shen1,2,3, Wenxin Yu2,4
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Background:
Multiple lasers have been used for the treatment of café au lait macules (CALMs) with various results. Objective tools to predict therapeutic efficacy of CALMs treatment is lacking.
Objective:
To determine whether reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) characteristics correlate with CALMs response to laser treatment.
Materials And Methods:
All CAMLs underwent RCM examination of length and density of dermal papillae followed by 3 sessions of Q-switched alexandrite laser (QSAL). A visual analog scale was used to assess clinical treatment efficacy.
Results:
Forty-three patients were included, 22 had CALMs with irregular borders and 21 with smooth borders. Café au lait macules with irregular border had shorter rete pegs and less papillae (p < .05) on RCM compared with smooth border CAMLs and responded better to QSAL treatment (2.32 vs 1.10).
Conclusion:
Reflectance confocal microscopy measurement of length and density of papillae were inversely correlated with treatment response. Reflectance confocal microscopy may be a useful tool to predict CALMs response to laser treatment.
