dermatologic laser surgery

Principle: 1) chromophores in skin (hemoglobin & melanin) absorb most of the laser light incident on the skin 2) the laser energy generates heat which causes destruction of the light-absorbing tissue (photothermolysis) 3) pulsing the laser beam in short bursts with duration close to the thermal relaxation time facilitates destruction without scarring Indications: 1) vascular lesions a) nevus flammeus (port-wine stains) b) flashlamp pulsed dye laser 2) pigmented lesions a) tattoos b) lentigines c) benign pigmented lesions d) Q-switched Nd:YAG (neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet) laser e) ruby laser 3) photodamaged skin & facial wrinkling - ultrapulsed carbon dioxide laser 4) cutaneous tumors that have selectively taken up systemically or locally administered porphyrin derivatives (experimental) [photodynamic therapy]

Related

lentigo; melanocytic macule nevus flammeus (port-wine stain) photothermolysis thermal relaxation time

References

Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998