Are Lasers Better Than Liquid Nitrogen for Treating Solar Lentigines?

Liquid nitrogen is considered the gold standard for treating sun-induced lentigines. In this randomized, controlled, comparative study, the authors evaluated results achieved with 3 different . . .

Liquid nitrogen is considered the gold standard for treating sun-induced lentigines. In this randomized, controlled, comparative study, the authors evaluated results achieved with 3 different laser therapies. Twenty-seven patients with multiple solar lentigines on the backs of both hands were treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy and with three types of laser: a 532-nm, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser; a diode-pumped, 532-nm vanadate laser; and a 530-nm, shuttered, continuous-wave krypton laser.

Patients were asked to evaluate their results with the different therapies 6 weeks after treatment; at 6 and 12 weeks posttreatment, photographs were taken and evaluated by a panel of experts. The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was found to be not only the most …

Reviewing Author

JS Dover