Carbon dioxide laser therapy of a widespread epidermal nevus.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The treatment of epidermal nevi is difficult and often unsatisfactory. Many therapeutic approaches have been tried, of which the surgical methods including lasers aim to avoid recurrences and hypertrophic scarring. Here we report the case of a widespread, life-impairing epidermal nevus, summarize the available treatment modalities, and discuss CO2 laser therapy with respect to the clinically soft variants of these developmental defects.

STUDY DESIGN/PATIENTS AND METHODS: A patient with a widespread, recurrent, biopsy-proven epidermal nevus was treated with a 10,600-nm CO2 laser. After test treatments in local anaesthesia, four sessions were performed under general anaesthesia each with a follow-up time of 4 years to date.

RESULTS

CO2 laser vaporization resulted in complete removal of the treated nevus without any obvious scarring. The patient is free of recurrence 4 years postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

CO2 laser treatment of epidermal nevi is a useful modality in selected variants.