Non‐Ablative Fractional 1,540‐nm Er:Glass Laser in the Treatment of Atrophic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Scars

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of nonablative fractional 1,540 nm laser to treat the atrophic scars caused by the cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). METHODS: This clinical trial with a pre- and a posttreatment measurement was conducted on patients with atrophic CL scars. The lesions were treated with nonablative fractional 1,540 nm laser. We evaluated the patients initially and then monthly, before each treatment session. The final follow-up was done 6 months after the end of study for all patients. Patient assessment was performed by two physicians using the modified Manchester Scar Scale (MSS) as well as the interpretation of captured digital photographs. Moreover, the patients performed a self-assessment by filling in a researcher-made questionnaire. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS software. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Thirty patients with 37 skin lesions participated in the study. The pairwise comparison demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the modified MSS parameters (P < 0.05); however, no significant difference was observed between the modified MSS of the third and fourth (P = 0.82) as well as fourth and fifth (P = 0.636) sessions. The lesions improvement was significant based on the physician's evaluation (P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients' level of satisfaction was significantly increased in all six follow-ups (P < 0.001). No persistent complication was found. CONCLUSIONS: Nonablative fractional 1,540 nm laser is an effective and safe therapeutic choice for atrophic CL, even in darker skins. Lasers Surg. Med. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.