Efficacy of pro-yellow laser versus cryotherapy in treating cutaneous lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma: a comparative...

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Pro-Yellow Laser (PYL) in treating plaque and patch lesions of classical Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) and compare its outcomes with cryotherapy (CT). A single-blind, randomized, comparative experimental study was conducted on nine HIV-negative classical KS patients at Kocaeli University Dermatology Outpatient Clinic between April 2022 and April 2023. Each patient received both CT and PYL treatments on separate lesions. Lesions were scored based on surface area and depth before and after treatment, and percentage change (PC) was calculated. A total of 41 lesions were treated (16 with CT and 25 with PYL). CT achieved 100% median PC, while PYL showed a median PC of 42.58% (p = 0.008). No significant difference was observed between CT and PYL in macule/patch lesions (DS-1, p = 0.192), but CT was significantly more effective for papule/plaque lesions (DS-2, p = 0.048). CT caused minor side effects such as blistering and delayed healing, while PYL was well-tolerated with no adverse events. PYL demonstrated comparable efficacy to CT for early-stage KS lesions with fewer complications, making it a promising alternative for patients unable to tolerate CT. However, CT remains more effective for advanced lesions. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings in larger cohorts.