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Wausau, WI (December 16, 2020) – Keloids are benign proliferative fibrous scars, which can arise from a pathologically heightened response to tissue trauma. Keloid treatment poses a challenge due to the variable nature of treatment response, which can be affected by size, appearance, and associated symptoms of erythema, pruritus and pain. This study evaluated eight patients for treatment of keloids with associated pain using only a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser.
This clinical report, published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM), the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS), was selected as the December 2020 Editor’s Choice.
The study, led by Payal M. Patel, MD, is titled, is titled “Treatment of Pain in Keloids Using Only a Long‐Pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG Laser.”
“Keloids represent a chronic disfiguring dermatosis that adversely affects quality of life, occurring with an increased prevalence in individuals with darker skin types. Since treatment modalities are often painful and yield inconsistent results, we sought to assess the effects of laser therapy on keloid size and associated pain,” said Patel.
Patient treatment consisted of two passes under a long-pulsed 1064nm Nd:YAG laser with a 10mm spot size, a fluence of 18-19J/cm2, and 60ms pulse duration every three to eight weeks. The results from the study found a statistically significant improvement in pain and none of the patients suffered from additional scarring or pigmentary changes as a result of laser treatment.
A native of India, Dr. Patel is pursuing a research fellowship with the Skin Immunology Lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has over 20 scientific publications and has served as an investigator in a broad range of clinical research projects. Dr. Patel received her BS from the University of South Alabama, summa cum laude, and her MD from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine with a distinction in research. Dr. Patel also serves as a committee member within the Skin of Color Society and the Melanoma Research Foundation.
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. View the complete manuscript.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. ASLMS membership includes physicians, surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals representing multiple specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, industry representatives and manufacturers. For more information, visit aslms.org.