Intratherapeutic dermoscopy assists nevus removal by laser therapy

• Published in: Indian journal of dermatology, venereology, and leprology Vol. 86; no. 5; pp. 604 - 605
• Main Author: Cheng, Chun-Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.09.2020; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Scientific Scholar
• Subjects: Dermatology; Laser surgery; Lasers; Light therapy; Medical lasers; Microscopy; Rare earth metal compounds; Rare earth metals; Skin cancer; Tumors
• ISSN: 0378-6323; 0973-3922; 0973-3922; 1998-3611
• DOI: 10.4103/ijdvl.IJDVL_569_19

Problem: Acquired melanocytic nevi are common benign pigmented cutaneous neoplasms. Traditional treatment of acquired melanocytic nevi includes dermabrasion, electrodesiccation and surgical excision. During recent years, laser therapy has become increasingly popular for the removal of acquired melanocytic nevi. Erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser emits a wavelength of 2,940 nm which is absorbed by tissue water. It can ablate and remove the superficial cutaneous lesions.[1] Although erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser is considered an effective and safe method for treatment of acquired melanocytic nevi, the therapeutic depth is often difficult to control.[2] Moreover, if depth of the treated area is not sufficient, the nevus would recur soon after treatment. On the other hand, scar formation would develop if the treated depth is more. Therefore, we have tried to find a solution to improve the outcome of laser procedure. Solution: Dermoscopy is a non-invasive technique which has been used for assisting the diagnosis of pigmented or nonpigmented skin tumors for decades. We performed intra-therapeutic dermoscopy examination to enhance the clearance of melanocytic nevi by laser therapy.