Study Explores Treatment Options for Small to Medium Sized Congenital Birthmarks
WAUSAU, Wis. (PRWEB) February 11, 2019 -- Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) are nevi (birthmarks) that present at birth or arise within the first few weeks of life. For small to medium sized CMN, the current treatment of choice is staged surgical excision. Ablative lasers or pigment-specific lasers have also been recommended for lesions difficult for surgical removal or to avoid surgery. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the results of several treatment options for CMN to find out the optimal treatment method.
The clinical report of this study, published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM), the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS), was selected as Editor’s Choice in the January 2019 issue of LSM.
The study, led by Jung Min Lim, MD, is titled “Comparison of Treatment Options for Small to Medium Congenital Melanocytic Nevi: A Retrospective Revivew of 119 Cases.”
A total of 119 cases with small to medium sized CMN were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment options were categorized into four groups: (i) Excision only; (ii) Excision followed by scar laser; (iii) Excision followed by pigment specific laser; and (iv) Laser only.
For the treatment of small to medium sized CMN, treatment strategies including surgical methods are cosmetically superior to laser-only treatment. Also, the combination of surgical excision with scar laser has the potential for better clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
“This large-scale retrospective review about treatment options for small to medium congenital melanocytic nevi may give reassurance to clinicians seeking the best option for their patient, as large-scale assessments have never been made in this field,” said Lim. “It strongly supports the efficacy of surgical excision, which showed better cosmetic outcomes, while suggesting the need for improvement in laser-based treatment strategies. This review also promises the potential of combining scar lasers with surgical excision, which showed superior outcomes along with increased patient satisfaction. As various tools for treatment are constantly being developed, the comparison of different treatment strategies in a large scale will benefit the clinician in their daily practice.”
Jung Min Lim, MD is with the Department of Dermatology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. View the complete manuscript.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multi-disciplinary professional organization, dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. Currently, ASLMS has over 4,000 members, including physicians and surgeons representing more than 51 specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, nurses, industry representatives and manufacturers. For more information, visit aslms.org.
Emilee Green, American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery, Inc., http://aslms.org, 715-845-9283, [email protected]
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