OBJECTIVES: Lentigo maligna is a common in situ malignancy in elderly patients, with a low risk of progression to an invasive tumor. Surgical treatment may be complicated or refused. Non-surgical treatment options (such as lasers) may therefore be needed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report on 17 patients treated with a 2940-nm Er:YAG (erbium-doped yttrium aluminum) laser for histopathologically confirmed lentigo maligna. The lesions were ablated with a 5 mm margin of adjacent skin under local anesthesia with a 3.5 mm overlapping spot, energy density of 6.5 J/cm2 and a repetition rate of 5 Hz. If clinically visible pigmentation was seen in the ablated area during the following three months, the lesion was re-treated. All patients were followed up for residual or recurrent tumors. RESULTS: We achieved clinical clearance in all 17 patients. There were three recurrences during the follow-up period (9, 30 and 36 months after laser therapy). All patients were satisfied with the treatment course and cosmetic outcome. The mean follow-up duration was 28 months. CONCLUSIONS: Laser ablation is an interesting alternative method for treatment of lentigo maligna. It can be used for selected cases where surgery is contraindicated, complicated or declined by the patient.

• MeSH
• dermatoskopie metody   MeSH
• laserová terapie metody   MeSH
• lasery pevnolátkové terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lentigo maligna kůže diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   radioterapie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lokální recidiva nádoru MeSH
• nádory kůže diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   radioterapie   MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• spokojenost pacientů MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH