Treatment of Congenital Melanocytic Nevi With a Dual-Wavelengths Copper Vapor Laser: A Case Series

Igor V Ponomarev; Sergey B Topchiy; Alexandra E Pushkareva; Svetlana V Klyuchareva; Yury N Andrusenko

doi:10.34172/jlms.2021.05

Treatment of Congenital Melanocytic Nevi With a Dual-Wavelengths Copper Vapor Laser: A Case Series

J Lasers Med Sci. 2021 Feb 14:12:e5. doi: 10.34172/jlms.2021.05. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Igor V Ponomarev¹, Sergey B Topchiy¹, Alexandra E Pushkareva², Svetlana V Klyuchareva³, Yury N Andrusenko⁴

Affiliations

¹ P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 53, Leninskiy Prospect, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation.
² Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, 49, Kronverkskiy Prospect, St. Petersburg, 197101, Russian Federation.
³ Department of Dermatovenereology, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, 47, Piskarevkiy Prospect, St. Petersburg, 195067, Russian Federation.
⁴ Clinic of Aesthetic Medicine. Head of the Laser Department of the Health Institute, Kharkiv, 61000, Ukraine.

Abstract

Introduction: Congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) is a severe challenge for dermatology. This pigmented skin lesion is undesirable for patients because of its localization in open areas of the body. Various visible and near-infrared laser systems and intense pulsed light (IPL) sources have been applied for CMN treatment. However, post-traumatic hyperpigmentation, structural changes, atrophy, and scarring due to non-specific thermal damage have been observed. Many patients have shown recurrence after treatment. Therefore, it highlights the need for testing new laser modalities for the management of CMN. Methods: Two adult II Fitzpatrick phototype patients (a 55-year-old male and a 30-year-old female) with middle-sized facial CMN (on the forehead and lower eyelid) are presented. All patients were treated with dual-wavelength copper vapor laser (CVL) radiation at 511 nm and 578 nm wavelengths with a power ratio of 3:2. The average power was 0.7-0.85 W with an exposure time of 0.3 seconds. The spot size amounted to 1 mm. Results: Both patients showed complete resolution of CMN after CVL treatments. CMN became crusted within a few days after the laser treatment and peeled off within seven days. No recurrences were observed during the follow-up period up to 24 months. Conclusion: The middle-sized CMN can be successfully treated with dual-wavelength CVL radiation.

Keywords: Blood vessel; Computer simulation; Copper vapor laser; Hyperpigmentation; Melanocytic nevi; Selective pigmented treatment.

Publication types

Case Reports