The Analysis Of Therapeutic Efficacy On Strawberry Hemangioma With Long-pulsed Nd: YAG Laser

Strawberry hemangioma is a common benign tumor of skin of infancy, with a prevalence of 1.1%-2.6%in the neonates. Most of hemangioma isn't harmful to the body, but some will be complicated with ulcer, infection, and bleeding in the phase of proliferating. The skin may appear normal after involution, but more commonly, atrophy or telangiectasia is present. So patients suffer from great psychological pressure. In most cases, intervention detracts from the quality of the ultimate cosmetic results. Traditional treatments such as cryotherapy, isotope application, injection of sclerosing agent and surgery for early lesions, which may result in scar, recurrence or dispigmentation, have not been satisfactory in general. New lasers such as KTP 532nm laser, 585/595nmFPDL, continuous Nd: YAG laser and long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser can improve the therapeutic effects, especially on the cosmetic effects. The wavelength of long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser is 1064nm, and the obsorption rate of long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser by hemoglobin is 11%-13%, while longer wavelength laser may result in penetrating deeper lesions. The absorption of light by melanin decreases with longer wavelength, and the side effects decrease with the application of long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser, especially on dispigmentation. So we use long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser to treat strawberry hemangiomas and to evaluate the clinical effects.Objective : Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy of long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser on strawberry hemangioma. Methods:A retrospective review was conducted based on 124 patients with 135 vascular lesions who were treated with long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser from February, 2007 to January, 2008 in our department. All the patients were never treated before. The parameter we chose: spot size: 3-5mm, pulse duration: 10-30ms, fluence: 120-200J/cm2.Results:100 of 135 lesions had more than 95% reduction, 22 of 135 lesions had 60% to 94% reduction, 11 of 135 lesions had 30% to 59% reduction, and 2 of 135 lesions had less than 30% reduction. Inflence factors: Smaller lesions were cleared better than larger lesions (P<0.0001), lesions of bright red and purple red were cleared better than those of dark red and light red (P<0.0001). There was no significant difference among different sites or depths (both P>0.05). The times of treatment and the responses of lesions to the laser affected the therapeutic effects (both P<0.01). Side effects: Atrophy scars occurred in 4 of 135 lesions, and blisters occurred in 12 of 135 lesions. No hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation occurred.Conclutions:The Nd: YAG laser is a safe and effective tool to treat strawberry hemangioma.