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Q-switched Nd:YAG laser shows efficacy in treating xanthelasma

The Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser was effective in treating xanthelasma palpebrarum in patients with Asian skin type, with four treatment sessions providing optimum results, according to recently published study results in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers in Singapore conducted a retrospective review of data from January 2012 through August 2015. There were 46 patients with Asian skin type (mean age, 49.2 years; 67.4% female) with xanthelasma palpebrarum with 103 lesions who were consecutively treated with a 1064-nm, Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser (Revlite, Conbio).

Patients were photographed before treatment and 4 to 8 weeks after treatment, with two dermatologists conducting independent evaluations.

Lesions were primarily located over the upper medial eyelids (n = 74), followed by the lower medial eyelids (n = 24) and lower lateral eyelids (n = 5). Fitzpatrick skin types ranged from typed III to V, with the majority of the patietns having type IV.

Patiens received between one to five treatment sessions, with 50% of patients receiving only one treatment session.

There was “noticeable improvement” in 93.2% of lesions after a single treatment session, with 52.5% of lesions displaying at least fair clearance. In the 18 lesions that received four treatment sessions, excellent-to-complete clearance was shown.

“This study has shown that the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser is effective in treating xanthelasma,” the researchers reported. “Though noticeable improvement might be seen after just one treatment, our data shows excellent-to-complete clearance after four treatment sessions.”

“Our findings further support Q-switched Nd:YAG as a minimally invasive alternative to surgical procedures,” the researchers concluded. “Future randomized controlled trials would be useful to compare Nd:YAG lasers to CO₂ lasers or surgery.” – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.