Abstract | BACKGROUND: : Pulsed-dye laser treatment has been shown to be highly effective for the treatment of facial telangiectasia. Posttreatment purpura after such treatment has limited patient acceptance of the procedure. OBJECTIVE: METHODS: : This was a prospective, randomized, controlled, nonblinded trial. Eleven patients received variable-pulse pulsed-dye laser treatment with and without induction of purpura. Telangiectasia were graded on a " telangiectasia density scale," on which a 1 signified extremely fine, sparsely distributed telangiectasia, and 5 referred to thick, ropelike telangiectasia covering the affected area. For each subject, two areas on either side of the facial midline with equivalent telangiectasia density ratings were randomized to the purpura and purpura-free treatment groups, respectively. All treatments used a 7-mm spot size and a 10-ms pulse duration. The fluence associated with the purpura threshold for each patient was determined in test areas. Purpura-free treatment entailed a fluence 1.0 J/cm2 less than the purpura threshold, and purpura-level treatment entailed a fluence 0.5 J/cm2 greater than the threshold. RESULTS: : Six weeks after a single purpura-free treatment, mean telangiectasia ratings were reduced from 2.7 to 2.4. Purpura-level treatments resulted in a decrease to 1.4 from the same baseline. Thicker, denser telangiectasia appeared to benefit more from purpura-level treatment (a mean telangiectasia density scale reduction of 1.7) than finer, sparser telangiectasia (a mean reduction of 0.8). In 81% of cases, both investigators and patients rated the side treated with purpura as undergoing a greater reduction in telangiectasia density. CONCLUSION:
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Authors | Murad Alam, Jeffrey S Dover, Kenneth A Arndt |
Journal | Dermatologic surgery : official publication for American Society for Dermatologic Surgery [et al.]
(Dermatol Surg)
Vol. 29
Issue 7
Pg. 681-4; discussion 685
(Jul 2003)
ISSN: 1076-0512 [Print] United States |
PMID | 12828690
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Facial Dermatoses
(complications, surgery)
- Female
- Humans
- Laser Therapy
(instrumentation)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Prospective Studies
- Purpura
(complications)
- Telangiectasis
(complications, surgery)
- Treatment Outcome
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