A case of recurrent pigmented macules in Laugier-Hunziker syndrome treated using a Q-switched Nd-YAG laser.

Laugier-hunziker syndrome (LHS) is a sporadic and acquired melanotic pigmentation of lips and oral mucosa which is not associated with gastrointestinal hamartomas in contrast to Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Treatment using Q-switched neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (QS-ND:YAG) laser, Q-switched alexandrite laser and, cryotherapy have been reported. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no report regarding long-term follow-up for recurrence. Herein we report the clinical features and the treatment of recurrent pigmented lesions in LHS patients. A patient diagnosed with LHS seven years ago presented with recurrent labial macules. She had undergone QS-ND:YAG laser 7 years ago and the labial macules have been gone several years. A physical examination revealed the macules were mainly on new locations and the spots on the site where the laser was previously done rarely recur. The untreated pigmented macules on gum were maintained in the same shape for seven years. Recurrent lesions of the lips and previously untreated macules on the gums were successfully treated again with the QS-ND:YAG laser as done in 7 years ago. Our case shows a long-term clinical course of laser-treated labial macules in LHS and treatment response of recurred lesions.

Photobiomodulation Therapy in Oral Medicine: A Guide for the Practitioner with Focus on New Possible Protocols.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is the term to define the wide range of laser applications using low-energy densities and based on photochemical mechanisms where the energy is transferred to the intracellular mitochondrial chromophores and respiratory chain components. In literature, a great number of works are reported showing the advantages of PBM use in many oral diseases such as recurrent aphthous stomatitis, herpes infections, mucositis, and burning mouth syndrome. Different factors may explain the increasing reported use of PBM in oral medicine: the absence of side effects, the possibility of safely treating compromised patients such as oncologic patients, the possibility of a noninvasive approach not associated with pain or discomfort, and the possibility of performing short sessions. The review's aim is to describe the possible applications of PBM in oral medicine, giving practitioners simple guide for practice together with the information of a new treatment possibility "at home" performed by the patient himself under supervision.

Treatment of oral manifestations of toxic epidermal necrolysis with low-level laser therapy in a pediatric patient.

Drug-induced reactions are complications associated with high mortality and significant morbidity. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are examples of these conditions, which are characterized by skin and mucous lesions. Here, we report a case of a 9-year-old girl who presented with blisters associated with an extensive vesicular rash and multiple ulcerations on the lips and oral cavity. A drug-induced hypersensitivity reaction to antibiotics was suspected, and a diagnosis of TEN was made. The patient was managed with withdrawal of the suspected causative agent, and the oral lesions were treated with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and oral hygiene. This case highlights that TEN requires interdisciplinary intervention with dental assistance and follow-up to improve symptoms, nutrition, systemic condition, and quality of life.

Retrospective Study on Laser Treatment of Oral Vascular Lesions Using the "Leopard Technique": The Multiple Spot Irradiation Technique with a Single-Pulsed Wave.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of laser treatment of oral vascular lesions using the multiple spot irradiation technique with a single-pulsed wave. BACKGROUND DATA: In laser therapy for vascular lesions, heat accumulation induced by excessive irradiation can cause adverse events postoperatively, including ulcer formation, resultant scarring, and severe pain. To prevent heat accumulation and side effects, we have applied a multiple pulsed spot irradiation technique, the so-called "leopard technique" (LT) to oral vascular lesions. This approach was originally proposed for laser treatment of nevi. It can avoid thermal concentration at the same spot and spare the epithelium, which promotes smooth healing. The goal of the study was to evaluate this procedure and treatment outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 46 patients with 47 oral vascular lesions treated with the LT using a Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm), including 24 thick lesions treated using a combination of the LT and intralesional photocoagulation. RESULTS: All treatment outcomes were satisfactory without serious complications such as deep ulcer formation, scarring, bleeding, or severe swelling. CONCLUSIONS: Laser therapy with the LT is a promising less-invasive treatment for oral vascular lesions.

Learning from clinical phenotypes: Low-dose biophotonics therapies in oral diseases.

This narrative review on the use of biophotonics therapies for management of oral diseases is written as a tribute to Prof. Crispian Scully. His seminal contributions to the field are highlighted by the detailed, comprehensive description of clinical presentations of oral diseases. This has enabled a more thorough, fundamental understanding of many of these pathologies by research from his group as well as inspired mechanistic investigations in many groups globally. In the same vein, a major emphasis of this narrative review is to focus on the evidence from human case reports rather than in vitro or in vivo animal studies that showcases the growing and broad impact of biophotonics therapies. The similarities and differences between two distinct forms of low-dose biophotonics treatments namely photodynamic therapy and photobiomodulation therapy are discussed. As evident in this review, a majority of these reports provide promising evidence for their clinical efficacy. However, a lack of adequate technical details, precise biological rationale, and limited outcome measures limits the current utility of these treatments. Future investigations should attempt to address these shortcomings and develop better designed, rigorous, controlled studies to fully harness the tremendous potential of low-dose biophotonics therapies.

Improved Wound Remodeling Correlates with Modulated TGF-beta Expression in Skin Diabetic Wounds Following Combined Red and Infrared Photobiomodulation Treatments.

Diabetic wounds are a major cause of morbidity among patients with poorly controlled blood glucose levels. Conventional empirical wound care strategies have shown limited efficacy, and there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Photobiomodulation treatments have shown positive therapeutic effects in several cell culture and animal models. In this study, we examined wound healing in diabetic rats following treatments with two laser wavelengths, namely red (660 nm) and infrared (808 nm) individually and in combination as compared to routine wound dressings. Immunostaining for TGF-ß expression was performed at various times postwounding. We noted that the combination of red and infrared laser treatments correlated with decreased TGF-ß1 levels at late stages in healing. There was no statistical significance with any treatments at an earlier time point. This study emphasizes the role of appropriate laser treatment protocols in modulating wound healing and remodeling responses.

Diode laser to treat small oral vascular malformations: A prospective case series study.

OBJECTIVE: The current work examined a consecutive series of patients presenting vascular malformations (VMs) and venous lakes (VLs) of the lip and oral mucosa who were treated with transmucosal diode laser applications and assessed over a 1 year period. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifty-nine patients (31 males and 28 females) presenting low-flow VMs or VLs of the oral cavity were treated transmucosally using a diode laser (with an 830 nm operating wavelength and 1.6 W output power) with a 320 µm diameter flexible fiber. All the lesions were assessed 7 days, 30 days, and 1 year after the laser treatment, and the lesion reduction percentage was scored on a one to five scale. The patients were also asked to assess their pain perception daily during the 7 days following the treatment using a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: There were no procedure-related intra- or post-operative complications; only modest pain intensity was reported. Thirty days after the treatment, lesion reduction was described as excellent or good in 52 cases; it was fair or poor in 7. Six patients (F:M ratio 2:4) required a second diode laser application. At the 1 year follow-up, volume reduction was complete in 48 out of 59 patients; there were five recurrences (F:M ratio 3:2). No relevant gender-related differences were noted. CONCLUSION: The use of diode laser application to treat small oral VMs and VLs was associated to shorter operating times and fewer postoperative complications with respect to the scapel surgery approach. More than one session may nevertheless be required if the anomaly is larger than 10 mm. Lasers Surg. Med. 50:111-116, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Low-level Laser Therapy: A Review of Its Applications in the Management of Oral Mucosal Disorders.

Due to its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and biostimulating effects, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been widely used for oral disorders, such as oral lichen planus (OLP), xerostomia, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), herpes labialis, burning mouth syndrome (BMS), and oral mucositis (OM). The research team for the present study has reviewed the literature on the subject, with an emphasis on the applicability of LLLT in general and of its various clinical protocols for the management of those oral disorders. In lesions such as the ones occurring in OM, RAS, herpes labialis, and OLP, the course of wound healing and the pain have been shown to decrease, with a few, or most often, no adverse side effects. The literature shows that LLLT can also be effective in reducing symptoms in patients with BMS. For the treatment of hyposalivation and xerostomia, the use of LLLT has been described in the literature, but no consensus has resulted. Very few controlled clinical studies with well-established therapeutic protocols have occurred, except for OM, for which LLLT has been widely researched. Although information on the use of the laser for some lesions has already been consolidated, further research is needed, especially randomized, controlled clinical trials with long-term follow-up. Those studies will allow the safe use of LLLT, permitting the creation of care protocols for the management of oral disorders.

Current indications for low level laser treatment in maxillofacial surgery: a review.

Low level laser treatment (LLLT) is currently being used for various disorders, but with no convincing scientific evidence. Most recently we have noticed an increase in published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that have focused on its applications in wound healing, scarring, disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), oral mucositis, and dental pain. Our aim therefore was to assess the scientific evidence about its current efficacy in maxillofacial surgery. We reviewed PubMed from January 2003 to January 2013 using the key phrase "low level laser treatment". Our inclusion criterion was intervention studies in humans of more than 10 patients. We excluded animal studies and papers in languages other than English, French, and German. We found 45 papers that we screened independently. The resulting full texts were scrutinised by two authors who awarded a maximum of 5 points using the Jadad scale for assessing the quality of RCT, and extracted the data according to sample size, variables of LLLT, the authors' conclusions, and the significance of the result. LLLT seems to be effective for the treatment of oral mucositis after treatment for head and neck cancer. However, it cannot yet be considered a valid treatment for disorders of the TMJ. It seems to improve gingival healing, and myofacial and dental pain.

Narrow-band UVB phototherapy for management of oral chronic graft-versus-host disease.

OBJECTIVES: Oral chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a debilitating complication following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intraoral narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy in the management of oral cGVHD. METHODS: Patients with oral cGVHD were treated using a custom NB-UVB unit for a course of 24 phototherapy sessions. Treatments were initiated at 50 mJ/cm(2) and increased by 10% at each visit unless toxicity was noted. Toxicity and response were assessed weekly. RESULTS: Eleven patients received a median of 22 (range 4-39) NB-UVB treatments; 5 patients completed 24 treatments and elected to receive a median of 7 additional treatments. Median symptom scores (0-10) for sensitivity, pain, and dryness at baseline/end of therapy were 7.5, 3, 1, and 3, 1, 2, respectively. Taking into account all patient-reported outcomes, 7/11 patients had improvement and 2/11 worsened. At least partial improvement was reported in 8/11 patients with none reporting worsening. Overtreatment occurred in 10/11 patients with all graded mild or moderate and resolving in 1-2 days. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoral NB-UVB may be effective for management of refractory oral cGVHD. Further optimization of treatment parameters, as well as minimal erythema dose testing, and inclusion of a control arm are necessary in the consideration of future studies.

[Low level laser therapy in inflammatory and infectious oral diseases]. / Photothérapie par diode électroluminescente des pathologies inflammatoires et infectieuses de la cavité orale.

PURPOSE: Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is an increasingly studied technique. The authors of a meta-analysis published in 2012 had already confirmed the effectiveness of LLLT for radio-induced mucitis. Our purpose was to check its indication for similar pathologies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The articles were selected with the PubMed engine. The selected terms were "Low Level Laser Therapy", "oral surgery", "oral infection", "oral inflammation", "oral mucosal lesions", "oral mucosal disease", "stomatitis", "aphtous", "Herpes", "oral lichen planus", and "oral ulceration". The analysis was made on the following criteria: assessment criteria, methodological quality, and bias. We estimated the level of proof according to Sackett's modified score. RESULTS: Six articles were selected. Two focused on the effectiveness of LLLT for Herpes simplex virus 1 oral symptoms. Two focused on the effectiveness of LLLT for oral lichen planus. One focused on the effectiveness of LLLT for recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The last one focused on the usefulness of LLLT to control stomatitis pain in the hand-foot-and-mouth disease. CONCLUSION: All the selected studies were assessed with a Sackett's score of IV. No study presented the required quality standards to recommend the treatment of LLLT for the selected indications.

Low-level laser therapy on the treatment of oral and cutaneous pemphigus vulgaris: case report.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a chronic autoimmune mucocutaneous disease that initially is manifested by painful intraoral erosions and ulcers which spread to other mucosa and the skin, generally more than 5 months after oral lesion manifestation. The treatment consists of prednisone alone or in combination with an immunosuppressive agent, and the clinical response is perceived within 2 to 4 weeks. Low-level laser therapy has been effective in accelerating the healing of injured tissue, thus inducing cell proliferation and increasing ATP, nucleic acid, and collagen synthesis. We reported two cases of pemphigus vulgaris that received systemic treatment associated with low-level laser therapy for oral and cutaneous lesions. We observed prompt analgesic effect in oral lesions and accelerated healing of oral and cutaneous wounds. Therefore, the present report suggests LLLT as a noninvasive technique that should be considered as an adjuvant therapy in oral and skin disorders in patients with PV.

Identificação de espécies de Candida na cavidade bucal e susceptibilidade antifúngica em pacientes irradiados em região de cabeça e pescoço e portadores de prótese removível / Identification of candida species in oral cavity and antifungal susceptibility in patients receiving radiation for head and neck cancer and in patients with removable prosthesis

A candidose é a doença de origem fúngica oral mais comum em seres humanos e apresenta uma variedade de características clínicas. Sendo causada principalmente pelo fungo Candida albicans, ela é considerada uma infecção oportunista, afetando principalmente indivíduos que são debilitados por outras doenças. Os avanços da medicina levaram ao prolongamento da sobrevida de pacientes imunocomprometidos, como aqueles pacientes irradiados de cabeça e pescoço que apresentam neoplasias...

Treatment of Laugier-Hunziker syndrome with the Q-switched alexandrite laser in 22 Chinese patients.

Laugier-Hunziker syndrome (LHS), a rare, acquired pigmentary disorder of the lips, oral mucosa, and fingers, is known to be an entirely benign disease with no systemic manifestations. In the past, the pigmentation has been treated efficiently in a few patients with the Q-switched neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser and the Q-switched alexandrite laser (QSAL). In order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of QSAL on Chinese patients of LHS, we treated 22 patients with QSAL in the past 5 years. Treatments were delivered on a bimonthly or trimonthly basis until the abnormal pigmentation totally disappeared. Patients were evaluated at each visit for evidence of dyspigmentation, scarring, or other untoward effects from the laser treatment. Our 22 subjects consisted of 18 females and 4 males with a mean age of 42.4 years. After only one session of laser treatment, the clearing on the lips was as follow: 18 (81.8%) excellent, 2 (9.1%) good, 1 (4.5%) fair and 1 (4.5%) poor. Eighteen patients (81.8%) with LHS, who had achieved excellent clearing after only one session of laser treatment, did not receive further treatment. Among the left four patients, three patients (13.6%) achieved complete results after three laser treatments. Only one patient required six sessions to achieve complete clearance. No scarring was noted after any of the treatments. The appearance of pigmentation on mucous membranes in a middle-aged patient without a significant family history for skin disorders should prompt consideration for the possible diagnosis of LHS. Our study has also demonstrated QSAL to be highly effective and safe in the treatment of LHS.

Evidence-based dentistry on laser paediatric dentistry: review and outlook.

AIM: The goal of paediatric dentistry is to provide preventive education to parents and patients as well as interception and therapy of dental diseases in a minimally invasive way using a stress-free approach. Different laser wavelengths are used for different applications following these minimally invasive concepts: argon, KTP, diode, Nd:YAG, and CO2 lasers are used for soft tissue applications and the erbium family is used for both soft and hard tissue procedures. This paper offers a revision and a discussion of the international literature, showing also some clinical procedures. related to these scientific studies. Soft tissues laser applications in Pediatric Dentistry include application in oral surgery as well as in periodontics and orthodontics. Laser applications on hard tissues include caries prevention and detection and application for sealing of pits and fissures. Also application for cavity preparation, carious removal and pulp therapy are discussed.

Low level laser in odontostomatology practice, a critical review / Láser de baja potencia en la práctica odontoestomatológica, una revisión bibliográfica

The application of laser as a therapeutic measure in nervous regeneration in dentistry has not been a discussed subject, even though the knowledge about the response of the peripheral nervous system is very important inpractice as well as in the recovery of the patient. It has been proposed that low-level laser (LLL) therapy has beneficial effects on tissues; LLL therapy acts as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous, anti-cellulitic tool, and it stimulates cellular trofism. In the present study, we conducted a meta-analysis of available literature regarding the response of the injured nerveto low-power laser using search engines EBSCO and PUBMED. The literature refers to the stimulant effect of the low-level laser in the neoformation of vessels and to the existing bibliographic evidence to propose that this mechanism is important in nervous regeneration. There is limited bibliographic evidence on the effects of LLL therapy in dentistry.

La aplicación de láser como medio terapéutico en la regeneración nerviosa en odontología, no ha sido un tema muy discutido, aún cuando el conocimiento de la respuesta del sistema nervioso periférico es muy importante tanto en la práctica como en la recuperación del paciente. Se ha propuesto que el láser de baja potencia (LBP) tiene efectos benéficos en los tejidos, entre ellos antiálgico, antiinflamatorio, antiedematoso, anticelulítico y bioestimulante del trofismo celular. En el presente estudio se realizó un metaanálisis de la literatura disponible en relación con la respuesta del nervio lesionado ante la aplicación de láser de baja potencia utilizando los buscadores EBSCO y PUBMED. La literatura se refiere al efecto estimulante del LBP en la neoformación de vasos y existiendo evidencia bibliográfica para proponer a este mecanismo como importante en la regeneración nerviosa. Los efectos del láser de baja potencia en Odontología presentaron una escasa evidencia bibliográfica.

Efecto de la Aplicación de Láser de Baja Potencia Sobre la Mucosa Oral Lesionada / Effect of the Low-power Laser on the Oral Mucous Injured

La utilización del láser ha tenido una constante evolución y desarrollo. Se ha comprobado en numerosos estudios los efectos bioestimulantes que la irradiación láser de baja potencia produce al interactuar con los tejidos y células. Este estudio pretende determinar la existencia de diferencias morfológicas en la mucosa oral lesionada, posterior a la irradiación con láser de baja potencia, a través de cambios en la densidad vascular del plexo subpapilar de la mucosa oral. Se utilizaron 15 ratas Sprague Dawley, las cuales se dividieron en tres grupos. A la totalidad de los animales se les lesionó la mucosa oral, en la zona media del frenillo labial inferior. El grupo I se tomó como control; al grupo II se le aplicó láser de baja potencia sobre la mucosa oral inmediatamente realizada la lesión, luego, a las 24 y 48 horas, en una dosis de 6 Joule/cm² por aplicación; al grupo III se le aplicó láser de baja potencia en una dosis única de 18 Joule/cm² inmediatamente efectuada la lesión. La unidad de muestra y análisis fueron los cortes histológicos obtenidos de la sección de la mucosa oral lesionada. Los resultados muestran una mayor densidad vascular en el grupo II con respecto a los grupos I y III, con una densidad promedio de 4,07 vasos sanguíneos/25mm², mientras el grupo I de 2,47 vasos sanguíneos/25mm² y el grupo III de 1,87 vasos sanguíneos/25mm². No se observó diferencia entre las densidades obtenidas para los grupos I y III. Estos resultados indican que la aplicación de láser de baja potencia en dosis baja produce un aumento en la densidad vascular en la mucosa oral lesionada.

The laser use has had a constant evolution and development; the bioestimulantion effects have been verified in numerous studies that the irradiation laser of fall promotes produces on having interacted with cells and tissues This study tries to determine the morphologic differences in the oral mucous injured, after the application of low-level laser, across changes in the vascular density of the subpapilar plexus of the mucous oral. Fifteen Sprague Dawley mice were used, which formed three groups, in the total number of animals the oral mucous was injured, in the average zone of the labial low frenum. Group I was taken as a control; in group II a low-level laser was applied on the mucous immediately the oral injury, then, at 48 after 24 hours in a dose of 6 Joule/cm² for application; Group III a low-level laser in a single dose of 18 Joule/cm² was applied immediately the oral injury. The unit of sample and analysis they were the histological cuts obtained of the section of the oral mucous injured. The results show a major vascular density in the group the II with regard to the group I and the III, with a density I mediate of 4,07 vassels/25mm², while the group I of 2,47 vassels/25mm² and group II of 1,87 vassels/25mm². No find differences between groups I and III. These results indicate that the application of low-level laser in low dose originate an increase in the vascular density in the oral mucous injured.

Low-level laser use in dentistry.

The use of laser light at power levels below that capable of direct tissue change (protein denaturation, water vaporisation and tissue ablation), has been advocated in diverse branches of medicine and veterinary practice, yet its acceptance in general dental practice remains low. However, the scope for using low-level laser light (LLLT) has emerged through many applications, either directly or indirectly tissue-related, in delivering primary dental care. The purpose of this article is to explain the mechanisms of action and to explore the uses of this group of lasers in general dental practice.

Lasers in pediatric dentistry.

Pediatric dentistry's mission in delivering care to our young patients is simple: provide optimal preventive, interceptive, and restorative dental care in a stress-free environment. Lasers such as argon, diode, Nd:YAG, CO2, and now the erbium family enable minimally invasive dentistry for hard- and soft-tissue procedures. This article offers an understanding of treatment planning in the pediatric practice and demonstrates the procedures that dental lasers can perform on younger patients.

Low-level laser therapy in dentistry.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a newly developing technique in dentistry, although it has been used among medical, dental, physiotherapy, and veterinary professions in some parts of the world for decades. LLLT can offer tremendous therapeutic benefits to patients, such as accelerated wound healing and pain relief. There is much to be learned about the mechanisms, recognition of the therapeutic window, and how to properly use these cellular phenomena to reach the treatment goals.