CO2 laser was first used in the treatment of
melanomas in animals. Since then, it has been successfully used in treating many dermatological conditions. A total of 47 patients were treated once as outpatients in Middle Road Hospital by using Model 720 Sharplan
CO2 Laser System and Yoshida Opelaser-01
CO2 Laser System to determine the usefulness of
CO2 laser in the treatment of various dermatological conditions. The
laser was used mainly in the defocused mode
at 10 watts. Local anaesthetic with 1%
lignocaine HCL was employed in all cases. 3 patients defaulted follow-up. Of the 30 patients with
warts, most of which were recalcitrant, 14 were cured and the remaining 16 showed marked improvement. 4 of the 5 patients with
lichen simplex chronicus were cured. 1 patient each of the following conditions were also treated;
prurigo nodularis,
psoriasis, solar
keratosis, ingrowing toe nail,
Bowen's disease, infected
callosity and lichen
amyloidosis; cure was achieved in the former 4 conditions. The
laser failed to cure 2 patients with
pyogenic granuloma. Side effects included
hypopigmentation (62%), mild
post-operative pain (11%),
scarring (11%), excess granulation tissue (11%), and
infection (2%).
CO2 laser is a potentially useful, effective and safe treatment modality for many dermatological conditions.