Painful nail lesions.

A man, 58 years of age, presented with a 4 year history of painful lesions of his nails. His previous history included hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia. These were treated with enalapril, metformin and simvastatin respectively. He also had asymptomatic skin lesions for over 15 years that had worsened in the past 4 years. His father had similar nail lesions that had been diagnosed as onychomycosis.

[Efficacy and safety of 308 nm excimer laser for vitiligo].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of the 308 nm excimer laser for the treatment of vitiligo. METHODS: We treated 170 patients with stable vitiligo by using the 308 nm excimer laser. The lesions of vitiligo were treated one to two times per week for 10-30 times. Efficacies were evaluated every 7 days and 3 days after the treatments were completed. Patients were followed up for two months. RESULTS: The rates of "remarkably improved" and "cured" were 67.97% and 32.03% in faces, 54.55% and 27.27% in necks, 63.26% and 26.53% in trunks, 38.84% and 15.70% in limbs, and 0 and 0 in hands and feet. The areas of faces had a better response than those of necks, trunks, or limbs (P < 0.01), and the areas of trunks or limbs had better response than that of hands and feet (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The 308 nm excimer laser is safe and effective in treating stable vitiligo and the efficacy varies in different lesion sites.

[Flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser (585 nm) in the treatment of port-wine stains--a retrospective study of 2317 Chinese patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 585 nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye lasers (PDL) in the treatment of port-wine stains (PWS). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed in 2 317 patients with PWS who visited the Dermatology Laser Centre of PUMC Hospital and accepted treatment with 585 nm PDL. The correlation between the treatment efficacy and the treatment sessions, lesion types, and usage of other therapies were analyzed. The adverse effects were also observed. RESULTS: All the 2 317 patients with PWS received 1-13 consecutive treatments with PDL at 2-3-month intervals. The median number of treatment was 4.93 and the median energy density was 8.29 J/cm2. The response rate after 8 treatments sessions were 84%. The response rate in patients whose lesions are characterized as purple plaques with proliferation and treated with isotope, CO2, cryotherapy, and other treatments was significantly lower than the total response rate (P < 0.05). Superficial scar, hyperpigmentation, and hypopigmentation were found in 5.2%, 2.5%, and 4.0% of these patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: 585 nm PDL is effective and safe in treating PWS.

[Clinical efficacy of Q-switched Alexandrite laser for pigmentary skin diseases in 4656 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Q-switched Alexandrite laser in the treatment of pigmentary skin, diseases ( PSDs). METHODS: Totally 4 656 patients with PSDs were treated with Q-switched Alexandrite laser. These PDSs included nevus of Ota, seborrheic keratosis, tattoo, naevus fusco-caeruleus zygomaticus, cafe-au-lait-spots, lentigo, naevus of Ito, and spilus naevus. The outcomes and adverse events after treatment were oberserved. RESULTS: The response rate was 92.31% and the cure rate was 55.39% for nevus of Ota after six times of treatment, and the cure rate was 100% after nine times of treatment. The response rate was 100% for freckles, seborrheic keratosis, and naevus fuscocaeruleus zygomaticus after four times of treatment. The response rate was more than 77.18% and the cure rate was more than 50% for tattoos after three times of treatment, including amateur tattoo, artificial eyebrow, eyelid lines, and traumatic tattoo. However, after four times of treatment, the response rate and the cure rate were only 50. 00% and 21.43% for cafe-au-lait spots, and 50.00% and 25.00% for spilus naevus, respectively. The response rate was 35.29% for lentigo and 25.00% for naevus of Ito/ spilus naevus after four times of treatment. CONCLUSION: Q-switched Alexandrite laser is effective in the treatment of nevus of Ota, seborrheic keratosis, tattoo, and naevus fusco-caeruleus zygomaticus, but has limited efficacy for cafe-au-lait-spots, lentigo, naevus of Ito, and spilus naevus.

[Effectiveness and safety of long-pulsed Alexandrite laser for hair removal in 1702 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of long-pulsed Alexandrite laser for hair removal. METHODS: Hair removal was performed in 1702 hirsute patients with long-pulsed Alexandrite laser. Among them 1603 patients received two or more operations. RESULTS: In patients who received 2, 3, 4, 5, and > or =6 operations, the effectiveness rates were 9.79%, 18.33%, 29.10%, 37.64%, and 82.68%, respectively. The number of operation correlated with the effectiveness, and > or =6 operations resulted in superior outcomes. Pigmentation occurred in 0.94% of the patients (16/1702). CONCLUSION: The long-pulsed Alexandrite laser system is effective and safe in removing hair.