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Treatment With Carbon Dioxide Laser Vaporization

Matti Kartamaa, MD; Sakari Reitamo, MD, PhD

Arch Dermatol. 1992;128(5):646-648.

Abstract
• Background.—
Familial benign chronic pemphigus (Hailey-Hailey disease) is characterized by recurrent blistering lesions, mainly in the neck and intertriginous areas. No controlled studies on laser treatment of this condition have been published.

Observations.—
We used carbon dioxide laser vaporization to treat skin lesions in eight patients. In the six patients with symmetrical skin lesions, one lesion was chosen for CO₂ laser vaporization and a corresponding lesion of similar location, size, and severity on the other side of the body was left untreated. Laser vaporization was performed in defocus in four to five layers. In five of six patients with symmetrical control lesions, laser-treated lesions showed substantial improvement in comparison with the untreated lesions. A similar improvement was seen in the treated lesions of the two patients without control lesions. During the mean follow-up of 20 months (range, 10 to 27 months), skin lesions recurred in the laser-treated areas in three patients, but not in the other five. Histopathologic studies performed on two patients indicated that the effect of the CO₂ treatment might be due to fibrosis of the upper dermal tissues. The adnexal glands were unaffected.

Conclusions.—
Carbon dioxide laser vaporization is an effective treatment for familial benign chronic pemphigus.

(Arch Dermatol. 1992;128:646-648)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Dermatology, Helsinki (Finland) University Central Hospital.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication September 11, 1991.

Reprint requests to Department of Dermatology, Jefferson Medical College, 233 S Tenth St, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5541 (Dr Reitamo).

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