Safety and Efficacy of a Novel 730 nm Picosecond Titanium Sapphire Laser for the Treatment of Benign Pigmented Lesions

Abstract

Background and Objectives Picosecond lasers in dermatology were originally focused on optimizing the removal of unwanted tattoos. Subsequent advances in this technology have expanded its clinical indications to include treatment of benign pigmented lesions, photodamage, melasma, and scar revision. In this retrospective review, we evaluate a novel 730 nm picosecond titanium sapphire laser in treating benign pigmented lesions. Study Design/Materials and Methods This is a retrospective review of all patients who presented to our institution between December 2019 and March 2020 for treatment of their benign pigmented lesions with a 730 nm picosecond titanium sapphire laser. All Fitzpatrick skin types (I–VI) were included. Absolute and relative evaluations were conducted by two blinded board‐certified dermatologists using high‐resolution photographic images. Results Twenty‐two of 64 patients satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients received 1.1 ± 0.3 treatment sessions. The absolute average pigmentation score prior to treatment was 2.04 ± 0.7 versus 1.39 ± 0.6 after treatment (P < 0.05). Improvement in pigmentation was observed in 86% of the patients, while 3% had no improvement and 11% had worsening of pigmentation. No other adverse events were observed. Downtime consisted of 1–2 days of mild edema and erythema followed by 3–5 days of mild pigment darkening and superficial crust. Conclusion The novel 730 nm picosecond titanium sapphire laser is a safe and effective treatment for benign pigmented lesions. Future prospective randomized control studies would be beneficial to further clarify its role in the treatment of benign pigmentation. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of a 730 nm picosecond titanium sapphire laser and a 755 nm picosecond alexandrite laser for the treatment of freckles in Asian patients: A two‐center randomized, split‐face, controlled trial

“…The PIH rate in previous studies on PSL treatment for pigmentary lesions was 5%-10%. 16 The PIH rates observed in this study were 3.49% and 4.65% for the 730 and 755 nm PSLs, respectively, which were slightly lower than the estimated 5%-10% mentioned above. The PIHo rates in our study were 8.14% and 9.3% for the 730 and 755 nm PSLs, respectively, corresponding to the 2.78%-9% PIHo rate previously reported for other PSLs.…”

“…6 Lipp et al have retrospectively reviewed 24 patients with benign pigmented lesions treated with 730 nm PSL, with improvement in pigmentation observed in 86% of the patients, whereas 3% showed no improvement, and 11% had worsening of pigmentation. 16 Loh et al have presented two cases demonstrating a novel application of 730 and 785 nm PSL in dealing with the nevus of Ota, and both showed >75% clearance. 9 Moreover, Kauvar et al have reported 20 patients with facial and nonfacial freckles treated with 730 nm PSL; 74% of patients had a lesion clearance >50%, whereas 36% of patients had a lesion clearance >75% at the 12-week follow-up.…”

“…The lesion clearance rate in our study was slightly lower than that reported in other studies. 5,16 This phenomenon can be attributed to several reasons. First, the standards for lesion clearance differed in these studies; in our study, we calculated the difference between the number of lesions before and after treatment, a relatively objective method, whereas most other studies adopted subjective-prone assessments.…”

“…Both patients showed clinical improvement, with the best results observed for the treatment of freckles, such that 95% of the lesions achieved excellent response (75%–94% lightening) 6 . Lipp et al have retrospectively reviewed 24 patients with benign pigmented lesions treated with 730 nm PSL, with improvement in pigmentation observed in 86% of the patients, whereas 3% showed no improvement, and 11% had worsening of pigmentation 16 . Loh et al have presented two cases demonstrating a novel application of 730 and 785 nm PSL in dealing with the nevus of Ota, and both showed >75% clearance 9 .…”

Treatment of facial and non‐facial lentigines with a 730 nm picosecond titanium: Sapphire laser is safe and effective

“…Thirty‐one percent had ≥70% improvement and 60% had ≥50% improvement and PIH occurred in 11% of subjects. 28 In this study, the mean beam diameter used was 2.4 mm and the mean fluence was 3.12 J/cm 2 .…”