Pyogenic granuloma: treatment with the 1,064-nm long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser in 20 patients.

BACKGROUND There are various therapeutic options for the treatment of pyogenic granuloma (PyG), but the results are frequently unsatisfactory, especially at difficult sites and with extensive lesions. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the success of treatment of PyG using the 1,064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser and to compare it with state-of-the-art treatment methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty patients with PyG were treated using the long-pulsed 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser with fluences of 60 to 180 J/cm(2) , a spot size of 7 mm, and a pulse duration of 40 ms. One to four treatment sessions were necessary for complete removal. RESULTS Recurrence-free healing occurred in 19 of 20 patients (follow-up ≥ 6 months, maximum 22 months). Because of heavy bleeding, one nonresponder was successfully treated using a carbon dioxide laser. The cosmetic results were good; textural changes of the skin were slight, if present at all. CONCLUSION When used with the right strategy and patient cohort, the long-pulse 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser is an effective, low-risk, minimally invasive method of treating PyG. This type of laser is a good therapeutic option that achieves good cosmetic results, particularly in PyG with a large diameter that are not suitable for treatment using the pulsed dye laser.