Treatment of digital mucous cysts with a carbon dioxide laser

Digital mucous cysts are common tumours of the distal interphalangeal joint , causing pain, cosmetic disfigurement and nail deformities. This study des cribes six patients suffering from digital mucous cysts, some of which recu rred after surgery. Carbon dioxide laser vaporization was performed under l ocal anaesthesia, resulting in complete remission in four out of six patien ts. In two patients, the mucous cyst recurred within 3 weeks and 11 months, respectively, after laser therapy. Although complete remission cannot be a chieved in all patients, carbon dioxide laser vaporization of mucous cysts is fast and easy to perform. No side-effects of therapy, such as nail defor mities, pain or infection, occurred. For this reason, more aggressive treat ments, such as radical excision of the cyst, could be restricted to cases i n which carbon dioxide laser therapy fails.