Effective Treatment of Leg Vein Telangiectasia with a New 940 nm Diode Laser

Effective Treatment of Leg Vein Telangiectasia with a New 940 nm Diode Laser
Issue online:
20 Dec 2001
To cite this article: Peter Kaudewitz MD, Winfried Klàvekorn MD, Werner Rother PhD (2001)
Effective Treatment of Leg Vein Telangiectasia with a New 940 nm Diode Laser
Dermatologic Surgery 27 (2), 101Ò106.
doi:10.1046/j.1524-4725.2001.00266.x
Blackwell Synergy

Peter Kaudewitz, MD,* *Department of Dermatology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany, Winfried Klàvekorn, MD,‹ ‹ Laser Center Gilching, Gilching, Germany, and and Werner Rother, PhD· · Dornier MedizinLaser GmbH, Germering, Germany

Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Peter Kaudewitz, MD, Department of Dermatology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Frauenlobstrasse 9-11, D-80337 Muenchen, Germany.

Abstract
Background. A variety of lasers have been used in an attempt to treat leg vein telangiectasia

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility of a new 940 nm diode laser for the treatment of leg vein telangiectasia.

Methods. Thirty-one patients with leg vein telangiectasia were treated with a diode laser; 26 of these with 940 nm, 300Ò350 J/cm2, 40Ò70 msec, 1.0 mm handpiece, one pass, and 5 of these with 940 nm, 815 J/cm2, 50 msec, 0.5 mm handpiece, one pass. Each subject had three treatments of the same site at 4-week intervals. Photographs taken before and 4 weeks after the last treatment were evaluated by two independent observers for vessel clearance.

Results. In those 26 patients treated with a fluence of 300Ò350 J/cm2, a vessel clearance of greater than 50% was achieved in 20 patients (76%), 12 of these patients had clearance rates greater than 75%. A clearance rate of less than 50% was obtained in six patients, with three of these patients showing responses of less than 25%. In five patients treated with a fluence of 815 J/cm2 a clearance rate of more than 75% was observed.

Conclusions. In this preliminary study a 940 nm diode laser was shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of leg vein telangiectasia.

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