TUESDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Cherry angiomata can be successfully treated with electrodesiccation and laser, with the latter option producing the least treatment-related textural change to the skin, according to a study in the January issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
James Collyer, M.D., and colleagues at Northwestern University in Chicago conducted a study of 15 healthy adults aged 21 to 65 years, who all had treatment for three areas, each containing four cherry angiomata. The areas were treated twice, two weeks apart, with either pulsed-dye laser, potassium titanyl phosphate laser, or electrodesiccation.
After three months, photographs of the treated areas were assessed to determine the color and texture, and all three treatment arms produced similar, significant changes in skin color, the researchers found. However, the degree of textural change varied between treatments, with potassium titanyl phosphate and pulsed-dye laser treatments producing significantly better results than electrodesiccation, the investigators discovered.
"Although this study did not assess ease of use of different treatment devices, there were incidental differences noted among the treatment arms. Laser treatment was less operator dependent than was electrodesiccation because the duration of each laser pulse was standardized. Time required for treatment was comparable for the three arms," the authors write. "Laser, especially pulsed-dye laser, seems to be less painful and may be more likely to enhance resolution while minimizing the likelihood of textural change."
One author reported financial relationships with Allergan, Medicis, Bioform, and Ulthera.
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