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The Ewha Medical Journal
Ewha Womans University School of Medicine

Ewha Med J 1990; 13(4):419-429

pISSN: 1598-7450

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12771/emj.1990.13.4.419

Original Article

CO2 Laser Treatment of Dermatologic Lesions: Therapeutic Effects in the Cutaneous Pigmented and Vascular Lesions

Hai Min Choi

Copyright ⓒ 1990. Ewha Womans University School of Medicine. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Published Online: Jul 24, 2015

Abstract

Carbon dioxide(CO2) laser is the the most commonly used laser in the treatment of cutaneous disorders of the skin. CO2 laser emits invisible far-infrared radiation of 10,600nm wavelength. This radiation is totally absorbed in a depth of only 0.1~0.2mm of water. Cutaneous tissue has a similar coffficient of absorption since it is 85~90% water. The internal scatter of the laser beam in water is minimal. These two factors, low penetration and minimal scatter, make the CO2 laser a highly localized tissue-destructive modality.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effect and complication of the CO2 laser on the cutaneous pigmented and vascular lesions. The data of the 110 patients who were treated between October, 1987 and March, 1989 and could be followed up over 3 months at the Department of Dermatology. Ewha Womans University Hospital were analyzed.

Patients were treated with Pfizer Laser System Model 20-C CO2 laser. The power ranges were between 2 and 10W using continuous wave accrding to the size and the shape of the lesions.

The CO2 laser was more effective modality in the treatment of the pgmented lesions. especially lentigenes and solar lentigo than cutaneous vascular lesions. In the cutaneous vascular lesions, CO2 laser was effective for rosacea and senile angioma.