[Bowen disease treated with scanned pulsed high energy CO2 laser. Follow-up of 6 cases].

Introduction: Cutaneous Bowen's disease is an intra-epidermal squamous cell carcinoma.
Patients and Method: Ten cases of cutaneous Bowen's disease diagnosed among 8 patients were treated by scanned high energy carbon dioxide laser between November 1996, and March 1998. A biopsy was performed in all patients before treatment.
Results: The post-treatment follow-up extended from 1 to 4 years with an average follow-up of 2 years and 11 months. Only one patient, whose lesion was located on the auricle, presented a recurrence after one year. The remaining patients did not present any recurrence during their last control: six patients were followed for two years or more and one patient for one year. We demonstrate a histological and clinical correlation between the number of carbon dioxide laser passes before a clinical endpoint and the thickness of the epidermal carcinoma treated.
Discussion: This new treatment has comparable efficacy to other treatments. It can be applied to extensive lesions without sequelae except for the risk of residual hypopigmentation.