LASER TREATMENT OF ERYTHEMATOUS HYPERTROPHIC AND PIGMENTED SCARS IN 26 PATIENTS/

Fifteen patients with erythematous/hypertrophic scars and 11 patients with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation were treated with a flashlamp pumped pulsed-dye laser at 585 nm or a flashlamp pulsed-dye laser at 5 10 nm. An average of 1.8 treatments resulted in an average improvement of 17 percent. Forty-seven percent of the patients had 100 percent im provement after one to three treatments. Eleven patients with postinfl ammatory hyperpigmentation were treated with the flashlamp pumped puls ed-dye laser at 510 nm with a pulse width of 300 ns. There was an aver age of 80 percent improvement with 1.45 treatments. Forty-five percent of the patients had 100 percent improvement after one or two treatmen ts. The pathophysiology of postoperative scarring is reviewed. Theoret ical reasons for the efficacy of laser treatment are detailed.