Samer A Dhaher; Ali M Yosif
Abstract
Background: Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammation ofpilosebaceous units with a multifactorial pathogenesis. Traditionaltreatment may have limited success with potential side effects.The long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium garnet (Nd:YAG)laser may be a desirable alternative.Methods: A prospective ...
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Background: Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammation ofpilosebaceous units with a multifactorial pathogenesis. Traditionaltreatment may have limited success with potential side effects.The long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium garnet (Nd:YAG)laser may be a desirable alternative.Methods: A prospective clinical trial was conducted on 61 acnepatients at the Department of Dermatology, Basrah TeachingHospital, from April 2019 to April 2020. Three treatments withlong-pulsed Nd:YAG were performed across two-weeks intervals(fluence 50 J/cm2, spot size 5 mm, pulse duration 15 ms, andfrequency 1.5 Hz). Patients were assessed at baseline and 2, 4,6, and 12 weeks later by counting the acne lesions and scoringthe response according to the percentage of lesions’ reduction.Results: Sixty-one patients completed the study (49 femalesand 12 males); the mean age was 18.7 ± 1.67 years. A significantreduction of acne lesions at the end of therapy was observedcompared to the baseline. The mean number of total lesions wasreduced from 84.2 ± 25.8 to 16 ± 23.3 (P < 0.05). Overall, 49 (80.3%)patients achieved an excellent response, 3 (4.9%) good, 1 (1.6%)moderate, and 8 patients (13.1%) showed a poor response. Thetreatment was well tolerated with insignificant adverse effects.Conclusion: Long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser is an effective and safemodality for treating acne vulgaris and may be considered analternative option for cases of recurrence after conventionaltreatment. However, more sessions are needed for severe cases.
