Low-Intensity Laser Treatment for Herpes Simplex Infection

Low-intensity laser therapy -- low-energy-milliwatt range light in the red or near-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum -- has been used extensively in Europe for acceleration of wound healing and has been shown to decrease recurrence rates of herpes simplex infection in uncontrolled trials. Investigators in this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study from Austria treated 50 patients presenting with recurrent perioral herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection with a 690 nm, 80-milliwatt/cm² light source at 48 joules/cm² for a total of 10 irradiations given daily for 2 weeks. Placebo patients were sham-irradiated. All patients had had at least one HSV recurrence per month for more than 6 months prior to the st…