الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Stretch marks, or StriaeDistensae (SD) are the lesions of the dermis caused by its linear atrophy at the sites of stretching. They occur in more than 70% of pregnant women and adolescents as a result of cutaneous stretching. This study aimed at evaluating and comparing the clinical and histological efficacy of the fractional CO2 laser versus the Long Pulsed (LP) Nd: YAG laser in the treatment of Striae Alba. Patients/Methods: Thirty female subjects having bilateral symmetrical stretch marks were managed by the LP Nd: YAG laser on the right side and the fractional CO2 laser on the left side. The laser treatment course consisted of 3 sessions with an interval of 3 weeks. The patient satisfaction score and the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) were employed in the study in order to assess the improvement 3 months after therapy. Punch biopsies measuring 4 mm were extracted from one lesion on each side at baseline and after the last treatment session by 3 months to evaluate the thickness of both collagen and epidermis. Results:Clinical improvement was more significant in the lesions treated by the LP Nd:YAG laser than those treated with the fractional CO2 laser. The patient satisfaction score and the GAIS were higher with a statistically significant value in the side treated by the LP Nd:YAG laser. Collagen and epidermal thickness increased more in the LP Nd: YAG laser treated lesions in comparison to their thickness in the fractional CO2 laser managed lesions, but this difference did not have a statistical significance. Conclusion:Theclinical efficacyof the LP Nd-YAG laser exceeded that of the fractional CO2 laser in the treatment of striae Alba without severe side effects in spite of the insignificant histological difference between the two lasers. |