Laser treatment of onychomycosis: an in vitro pilot study.
Summary of "Laser treatment of onychomycosis: an in vitro pilot study."
Background: Laser treatment of onychomycosis is the object of considerable interest. Laser therapy could be a safe and cost-effective treatment modality without the disadvantages of drugs. Some studies have described the inhibitory effects of lasers on the growth of fungal colonies. We therefore examined the effects of various laser wavelengths, which have previously shown inhibitory potential, on the fungal isolate Trichophyton rubrum. Patients and Methods: Isolates of fungal colonies were placed clockwise on culture plates. Each culture plate was irradiated on one half with one of the following treatment regimens: 1064 nm-Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 4 J/cm(2) and 8 J/cm(2) ; 532 nm-Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 8 J/cm(2) ; 1064 nm-long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 45 J/cm(2) or 100 J/cm(2) . The other half remained untreated. Standardized photographs were taken and areas of treated and untreated colonies were compared for growth inhibition. Results: There was no inhibition of fungal growth in any of the treated plates. Differences in size between treated and untreated colonies were not significant (p > 0.10). Conclusions: In this in vitro study Nd:YAG laser treatment of Trichophyton rubrum colonies failed to inhibit fungal growth. Nevertheless there might be an effectiveness in vivo which has to be clarified by clinical studies.
Affiliation
Laser Clinic, Karlsruhe, Germany Department of Dermatology, Hiedelberg University Hospital, Germany Department of Dermatology, Regensburg University Hospital, Germany.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG
ISSN: 1610-0387
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22897199
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1610-0387.2012.07997.x
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Pilot Projects
Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work.
Angioplasty, Laser
A technique utilizing a laser coupled to a catheter which is used in the dilatation of occluded blood vessels. This includes laser thermal angioplasty where the laser energy heats up a metal tip, and direct laser angioplasty where the laser energy directly ablates the occlusion. One form of the latter approach uses an EXCIMER LASER which creates microscopically precise cuts without thermal injury. When laser angioplasty is performed in combination with balloon angioplasty it is called laser-assisted balloon angioplasty (ANGIOPLASTY, BALLOON, LASER-ASSISTED).
Laser Therapy, Low-level
Treatment using irradiation with LASER light of low power intensity so that the effects are not due to heat, as in LASER THERAPY. These non-thermal effects are thought to be mediated by a photochemical reaction that alters CELL MEMBRANE PERMEABILITY, leading to increased mRNA synthesis and CELL PROLIFERATION. Low-level laser therapy has been used for a wide variety of conditions, but most frequently for wound healing and pain control.
Angioplasty, Balloon, Laser-assisted
Techniques using laser energy in combination with a balloon catheter to perform angioplasty. These procedures can take several forms including: 1, laser fiber delivering the energy while the inflated balloon centers the fiber and occludes the blood flow; 2, balloon angioplasty immediately following laser angioplasty; or 3, laser energy transmitted through angioplasty balloons that contain an internal fiber.
Light Coagulation
The coagulation of tissue by an intense beam of light, including laser (LASER COAGULATION). In the eye it is used in the treatment of retinal detachments, retinal holes, aneurysms, hemorrhages, and malignant and benign neoplasms. (Dictionary of Visual Science, 3d ed)
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