Picosecond pulse duration laser treatment for dermal melanocytosis in Asians : A retrospective review

Background and aims: Recently novel picosecond duration lasers (ps-lasers) have been developed for the treatment of multicolored and recalcitrant tattoos, and safety and efficacy have been reported. We therefore hypothesized that the ps-laser could be an alternative treatment for dermal pigmented lesions and performed a retrospective review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ps-laser. Subjects and methods: A retrospective photographic review of 10 patients with dermal pigmented lesions was performed (ages from 4 months to 52 yr), 6 nevus of Ota, 3 ectopic Mongolian spots and 1 Mongolian spots. The patients were treated in the Ohshiro Clinic with picosecond 755 nm alexandrite laser (ps-Alex laser) and picosecond 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser (ps-Nd:YAG laser) from April 2014 to December 2015 (ps-Alex laser, 7 patients; ps-Nd:YAG laser, 3 patients, 1 to 3 treatment sessions). Improvement was evaluated as percentage of pigmentation clearance comparing the baseline findings with those at 3 months after the final treatment using a five category grading scale: Poor, 0-24%; Fair, 25-49%; Good, 50-74%; Excellent, 75-94%; and Complete, 95-100% improvement. Adverse events were also assessed. Results: All ten patients obtained clinical improvement ranging from fair to excellent. Treatment with the ps-Alex laser caused transient hyperpigmentation followed by improvement to complete resolution at 3 months follow-up. The ps-Nd:YAG laser caused severe transient erythema and swelling but no post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the 755 nm and 1064 nm ps-lasers are efficacious for the treatment of dermal pigment lesions, with minimum adverse events.