The effect of Nd:YAG laser therapy on cutaneous leishmaniasis compared to intralesional meglumine antimoniate.

INTRODUCTION: Nd:YAG laser is one of the commonly used lasers in dermatology. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Nd:YAG laser therapy (NDY) on cutaneous leishmaniasis in comparison with meglumine antimoniate (MA). Therefore, researchers are seeking to use a more effective, faster and less complicated method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted as a clinical trial on 16 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis treated simultaneously as follows: one lesion with Glucantime and another with NDY laser in the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2016-2017. Then, the demographic data, number of treatment sessions, mean duration of illness before the start of treatment, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and scars, and recovery in two methods were recorded and compared using SPSS-21. RESULTS: The mean age was 14.37 ±29.68. The mean duration of disease before the study was 1.84 ±0.50 months. The mean number of Glucantime injections was 7.31 ±4.01 and the mean number of laser therapy sessions was 2.56 ±0.89; this was significantly less than that of injections of the MA group (p < 0.001). Moreover, the MA scars were observed in 10 subjects and laser scars were seen in 3 subjects. Scars in patients treated with laser were significantly smaller than in those treated with Glucantime injections (p = 0.03). 13 subjects had MA therapy-induced PIH and 15 had laser therapy-induced PIH. CONCLUSIONS: The alternative method of laser use in the treatment of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis can lead to complete recovery of patients in shorter time and with less complications.

The pulsed dye laser is more effective and rapidly acting than intralesional meglumine antimoniate therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The pulsed dye laser (PDL) is not tested yet for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). We compared the efficacy of 585 nm PDL with intralesional meglumine antimoniate (MA) on 17 patients with 81 lesions of CL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Out of the 81 lesions, 42 lesions were treated with one or two passes of PDL fortnightly and 39 lesions in the same patients were treated with intralesional MA weekly. The fluence chosen for the laser was 7 Joules/cm² with 5 mm spot size. The MA treated lesions were infiltrated gently with MA to blanch the lesions completely. RESULTS: All laser treated lesions were responded well with almost 66.7% cure after the first, and more than 90% after the second treatment. One patient was recovered after third, and the last one after fourth sessions. All 39 MA treated lesions were also responded after third to eighth sessions. The mean number of the sessions required for the patients to be treated with PDL is 1.85, and the mean number of the sessions required for the patients to be treated with MA is 4.6. CONCLUSIONS: The PDL can cure many cases of CL particularly in their early stages faster than MA.

Callosity of ankles among people with the habit of sitting with crossed legs: a cosmetic problem.

Many people living in developing countries still prefer to sit on the carpet or uncarpeted floor, and many times they sit in a cross legged position. Continuous rubbing and friction of the ankles over the carpet or the plain hard surface may cause callosity of the ankles. This can cause a cosmetic problem. We describe a case series of ankle hyperkeratosis referred to our outpatient clinic in Ahwaz in the south west of Iran from 2005-2010. These patients had localized hyperkeratosis on two ankles or the front of ankles. This article aims to help the clinician become more familiar with the morphological characteristic of this problem which may occur in people of Eastern origin.