Prophylactic fluconazole promotes reepithelialization in full-face carbon dioxide laser skin resurfacing

Background and Objective: Laser skin resurfacing is used to treat photodama ged skin, rhytids, and acne scarring. Many patients are placed on antibioti cs and antivirals pre- and postoperatively, The purpose of this study was t o determine whether prophylactic fluconazole increased the rate of reepithe lialization in patients undergoing full-face CO2 laser skin resurfacing. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Ninety-one patients underwent full-face CO2 laser skin resurfacing with the Coherent Ultrapulse 5000C. At least tw o passes of 300 mJ, density 5, were used except periocularly. Study group I consisted of 48 consecutive patients who received either cephalexin or cip rofloxacin for 7 days postoperatively. Study group II consisted of 43 patie nts who received 300 mg of fluconazole on postoperative days 3-8, in additi on to ciprofloxacin. Both groups received acyclovir 400 mg t.i.d. pre- and postoperatively. Results: Time to complete reepithelialization was compared between the grou ps by t-test. Group II reepithelialized significantly faster than group I ( 7.65 +/- 1.20 days vs. 10.27 +/- 2.94 days; P < 0.0001). Ninety-five percen t of patients receiving fluconazole (group II) healed completely by day 9 v ersus only 53% of patients in group I. Conclusion: Fluconazole administered postoperatively between days 3 and 8 s ignificantly promotes reepithelialization in patients undergoing full-face CO2 laser skin resurfacing. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.