[Optimizing laser therapy parameters in pharyngeal tonsil diseases in children]

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Inflammatory Diseases
• Laser Therapeutics

Background:

• Chronic inflammatory diseases of the pharyngeal lymphoid ring are common in children.
• Current therapies for these conditions have limitations, including variable effectiveness, prolonged treatment, and potential complications.
• Laser therapy (LT) is used in ENT but requires optimization and standardization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of different laser therapy (LT) parameters for treating chronic inflammatory diseases of the pharyngeal lymphoid ring in pediatric out-patients.
• To compare outcomes of standard LT methods with varying laser wavelengths, modes, and exposure times.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 214 children aged 1-15 with chronic inflammatory nasopharyngeal diseases.
• Patients were divided into three groups receiving LT with different laser parameters (wavelength, pulsed/continuous mode, power) on the Lasmik device, plus a control group.
• Outcomes were assessed based on clinical improvement.

Main Results:

• All laser therapy groups showed significantly better outcomes than the control group.
• Pulsed low-intensity laser radiation (LIRI), particularly in the red spectrum (635 nm, pulsed mode, 5 W), demonstrated higher efficacy than continuous mode.
• LIRI in the red spectrum led to faster clinical improvement.

Conclusions:

• Pulsed low-intensity laser radiation is a more effective treatment for chronic inflammatory nasopharyngeal diseases in children compared to continuous mode laser therapy.
• The optimal parameters involve red spectrum light (635 nm) in pulsed mode with specific power settings.
• This approach facilitates percutaneous application, avoiding the need for sterilization and degradation issues associated with light guides.