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Purpose: To investigate the subjective effect of office-based blue laser therapy for inferior turbinate hypertrophy in patients with nasal obstruction. Methods: Patients with nasal obstruction who underwent office-based blue laser for the inferior turbinate hypertrophy between October 2022 and December 2023 were included in the study. The two outcome measures used to gauge the improvement in nasal obstruction and success of surgery were the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Patient's level of comfort during the procedure was also rated using a 10-point VAS scale. Results: A total of 14 patients were included in this study. The mean age of the study group was 41.47 ± 18.52 and the F/M ratio was 4.67. All patients reported significant improvement in nasal breathing. The mean NOSE score decreased significantly from 13.07 ± 3.89 pre-operatively to 2.64 ± 2.43 post-operatively (p = 0.002). Similarly, the mean VAS score decreased from 7.43 ± 0.85 to 2.0 ± 1.57 (p = 0.002) following surgery. The procedure was well-tolerated by all participants and the mean total score ranged from 6 to 9 with an average of 7.59 ± 1.34. Conclusion: Office-based blue laser therapy for inferior turbinate hypertrophy may be an effective treatment modality for nasal obstruction from the patient's perspective. Although the procedures were tolerated well with no complications noted, these results should be cautiously interpreted until studies using objective measures are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of visible blue wavelengths of argon laser beams in reducing bilirubin levels in newborns with jaundice. Background: Newborn jaundice ("hyperbilirubinemia") results from increased bilirubin concentrations in the skin and blood. Sunlight, comprising various light rays, is commonly used to treat this condition by breaking down bilirubin molecules. Other phototherapy techniques, including lamp phototherapy, are also employed. Methods: An experimental study was conducted on six male infants (5 to 15 days old) with jaundice at a hospital. These infants were exposed to blue-violet scattered light from an argon laser with a wavelength of 450 nm. Results: The concentration of bilirubin in these infants decreased following exposure to the argon laser light. The 450 nm wavelength effectively absorbs bilirubin, facilitating its breakdown. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of using argon laser with visible blue light in reducing bilirubin levels in infants with jaundice. This finding encourages health professionals to consider argon laser therapy as a treatment option for neonatal jaundice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report the efficacy of blue laser in the treatment of vocal fold polyps and Reinke's edema in an office setting. Methods: The medical records and video-recordings of patients who underwent office-based blue laser therapy in a tertiary referral center for vocal fold polyps and/or Reinke's edema were reviewed. The primary outcome measures were the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) score and disease regression. Acoustic and aerodynamic parameters were also analyzed. Results: Thirty-five patients (21 with vocal fold polyps and 14 with Reinke's edema) were included and a total of 47 lesions were treated. Out of the 35 patients, 7 patients were lost for follow-up. The mean VHI-10 score dropped significantly after surgery by 17.41 ± 8.67 points (p < 0.001). The endoscopic examinations of 38 lesions were reviewed (17 vocal fold polyps and 21 Reinke's edema) before and up to 6 months after laser therapy. In the subgroup with vocal fold polyps (N = 17), there was complete disease regression in 13 and partial in 4. In the subgroup with Reinke's edema (N = 21), there was complete disease regression in 7 and partial disease regression in 14. For patients with vocal fold polyp, there was a significant decrease in shimmer and a significant increase in maximum phonation time postoperatively. For patients with Reinke's edema, there was a significant decrease in shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio following treatment. Conclusion: Office-based blue laser therapy is an effective treatment for vocal fold polyps and Reinke's edema leading to complete or partial disease regression. All patients had improvement in voice quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and related diseases are clinical challenges. The efficacy of 5- aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) using red laser (630± 5 nm) is remarkable and safe. In this study, we aim to investigate the efficacy of ALA-450nm PDT comparing with ALA-635nm PDT. We detected cell proliferation and cell apoptosis through MTT assay and flow cytometry assay respectively. Flow cytometry assay determined the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Western blotting analysis investigated the protein expression. In vivo, immunohistochemical staining assay and TUNEL assay were performer to detect cell apoptosis. ALA-450nm PDT inhibited the proliferation of End1 and HeLa cells, promoted cell apoptosis more effectively than ALA-635nm PDT, and induced cell death probably through increasing the intracellular ROS generation and caspasedependent apoptosis pathway. In vivo, ALA-450nm PDT significantly inhibited tumour growth and activated cell apoptosis. The ALA-450nm PDT had an advantage over ALA-635nm PDT on inhibiting the proliferation of End1 and HeLa cells and inducing cell apoptosis. The ALA-450nm PDT might be a promising therapeutic strategy for eradicating the HR-HPV infected cells and promoting the integration of diagnosis and treatment of HR-HPV related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To report patient tolerance in office‐based blue laser therapy for vocal fold lesions. Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of patients who underwent office‐based blue laser therapy for lesions of the vocal folds between November 2021 and February 2023 was conducted. A total of 48 patients were included. Patient tolerance was assessed using the Iowa Satisfaction with Anesthesia Scale (IOWA). Patient tolerance was analyzed in relation to patients' demographic characteristics, disease type and severity, and procedure‐related factors. Results: The mean tolerance score of the study group was 1.51 ± 1.1. There was a significant difference in the mean tolerance score between smokers and non‐smokers (p =.038). Patients with vocal fold cyst (n = 3) had the highest mean tolerance score followed by patients with vocal fold polyps (n = 15). There was a nonsignificant difference in the mean tolerance score between benign lesions of the vocal folds and leukoplakia. Patients with lesions extending to more than half the vocal fold had less tolerance than those with lesions limited to less than half the vocal fold (1.91 vs. 1.27, p value.041). There was a moderate and significant negative correlation between vocal fold movement VAS, swallowing VAS, and tolerance score. The mean total duration of the procedures was 10.38 ± 4.8 min. There was a mild negative correlation between the duration of the procedure and tolerance. Conclusion: Office‐based blue laser therapy for vocal fold lesions is a well‐tolerated procedure. Patient should be instructed how to breathe quietly and avoid swallows to improve tolerance to surgery. Level of Evidence: 4. This article aimed to report patient tolerance in office‐based blue laser therapy for vocal fold lesions and found that such procedure is well tolerated. Yet patients should be instructed how to breathe quietly and avoid swallows to improve tolerance to surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of in-office blue laser therapy on dyspnea in patients with type 3 Reinke's edema. Methods: The medical records and video-recordings of patients with Reinke's edema type 3 who had undergone office-based blue laser therapy between March 2022 and January 2023 were reviewed. The primary outcome measures assessed before and after surgery were dyspnea severity, risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and disease regression. The severity of dyspnea was measured using the Dyspnea Severity Index (DSI), the risk of OSA was assessed using the STOP-BANG questionnaire, and disease regression was assessed by reviewing the laryngeal examination before and after surgery. The Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) was used as a secondary outcome measure. Result: A total of 10 patients were included. The mean age of the study population was 58.9 ± 4.2 years. The male-to-female ratio was 2:3. In total, 20 vocal fold lesions were treated among which 18 were reviewed. Eight lesions regressed completely and 10 partially. There was a statistically significant drop in the mean score of DSI after surgery (16.1 ± 10.2 pre-operatively vs 2.3 ± 2.3 post-operatively, p-value < 0.001). The mean STOP-BANG score decreased from 4.8 ± 1.47 to 3.1 ± 1.28 (p-value = 0.001). There was also a significant improvement in VHI-10 score (22.7 ± 7.0 vs 4.4 ± 5.6, p-value < 0.001). Conclusion: Office-based blue laser therapy offers a safe and effective treatment for shortness of breath in patients with type 3 Reinke's edema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the penetration depth of 445 and 970 nm diode lasers using both initiated and non-initiated fibers on bovine gingiva in an ex vivo model. Methods: In this in vitro experiment, 445 nm and 970 nm diode lasers were compared in pulsed (35 Hz, duty cycle: 50%) and continuous mode with both initiated and non-initiated tips. All experimental groups had laser output settings of 2 Watts with a 320 μm thick glass fiber utilized for delivery. Two posterior teeth were randomly selected from four bovine mandibles for each group. The teeth were irradiated for 30 s buccal and 30 s lingual before the gingiva was harvested for histological evaluation. Samples were fixed in 10% formalin and stained via elastin Van Gieson. Sections were examined microscopically to evaluate collagen denaturation due to thermal effects, which were measured and compared using a mixed-effect model with Tukey adjustment. Results: The 445 nm wavelength groups displayed significantly higher penetration depths when compared to the 970 nm wavelength groups. The initiated tip groups tended to display a lower penetration depth than non-initiated groups; however, these values were similar (p > 0.05) for the 445 nm pulsed lasers (initiated vs. non-initiated). Conclusions: We can conclude that the 445 nm laser wavelength displayed greater thermal denaturation in bovine gingiva ex vivo when compared to the 970 nm wavelength. Additionally, the pulsed settings displayed less thermal penetration depth when compared to the continuous emission modes of the same power output. However, additional studies are necessary to better compare initiated and non-initiated tips using the novel blue laser light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested a blue light source for the treatment of solar lentigines. A total of 14 patients with solar lentigines were treated with radiation from a novel, high-power 450 nm blue laser that was created for this project. The group contained eight patients with solar lentigines on the face, two patients with the lesions on the dorsal of the hands, and four patients with the lesions on the trunk and forearms. The best results (complete recovery) have been achieved for the lesions on the face and dorsal of the hands. The treatment of lesions on the trunk and forearms was not fully satisfying due to the occurrence of slight scarring. This study shows that, in some cases, the use of a blue laser may be an alternative to the use of longer wavelength sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to test a blue light source for the treatment of port wine stains (PWS) and telangiectasia and to compare this with the application of green and yellow lasers based on data in the literature. A total of 22 patients with PWS were treated with radiation from a novel, high-power 450 nm blue laser that was created for this project. The group contained 15 patients with red PWS and 7 with pink PWS. The best results were achieved for red PWS, using 15–20 ms light pulses and 47 W power. For patients with pink malformations, the results were unsatisfactory. The group with telangiectasia consisted of six patients with facial lesions and three with leg lesions. The recovery was completed for all patients with facial telangiectasia, while the blue laser therapy was ineffective for patients with leg telangiectasia. This study shows that, in some cases, the use of a blue laser may be an alternative to the use of green and yellow lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]