Lasers vs. Electrodesiccation

Laser treatment of cherry angiomas may result in better textural appearance than electrodesiccation, a new report suggests (Archive of Dermatology, 146: 33-37). Researchers compared three treatments in 10 men and five women who each had at least 12 cherry angiomas on their torso. For each patient, three treatment areas with four lesions were demarcated, and each area was randomly assigned to receive one of the three treatments: a hyfrecator electrosurgical unit, the Vbeam PDL, or the Aura KTP laser. Treatments were administered twice and two weeks apart and were assessed immediately after and two weeks after the first treatment, and three months after the second treatment. On a 10- point visual analog scale, lesion color at three months had improved by an average of 7.77 from baseline, with no significant difference across treatment arms. Similarly, size improved overall by 4.32 points. Overall mean change in texture as indicated by elevation improved by 6.23 points on a 10-point scale. However, the improvement was significantly better following laser treatment than after electrodesiccation. At three months, patient ratings for bumpiness or color were no different by treatment method. On the other hand, the PDL was judged significantly less painful than either the KTP laser or electrosurgery (p <0.001 for both). In general, patients preferred either laser treatment over electrodesiccation.

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Lasers vs. Electrodesiccation

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