Treatment of Small Congenital Nevocellular Naevi Using a Combination of Ultrapulse Carbon Dioxide Laser and Q-Switched Frequency-Doubled Nd-YAG Laser

Abstract

This report describes treatment combining Ultrapulse CO₂ laser and Q-switched frequency-doubled neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd-YAG) laser for a number of congenital nevocellular naevi (CNN). The Ultrapulse CO₂ laser removes the superficial component, which contains most of the color, preserving the integrity of the reticular dermis. At a later stage, any residual color is targeted using the Nd-YAG laser. To date, a total of 10 histologically proven CNNs have been treated at the Laser Suite. The median age of the patients was 18 years (range, 13–24 years). All the patients were white females. The patients accepted for treatment had relatively small lesions (mean surface area, 352 mm²; range, 50–1,092 mm²), but the lesions were either cosmetically sensitive or located in an anatomically critical area in which excision could result in a scar that would be unpredictable. The median follow-up period was 24 months. The overall results have been satisfactory, with reduction of color and no significant scarring. The minor textural and pigmentary changes were acceptable to the patients.