The neodymium : YAG Laser: its applications in dermatology

The neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet(Nd:YAG) laser is one of the most ver satile and interesting lasers in dermatological laser medicine. Almost no o ther laser has such a wide spectrum of applications. Depending on wave leng th (1064 nm, frequency-doubled 532 nm) and mode (continuous, Q-switched, lo ngpulsed), benign pigmented lesions (tattoos, traumatic tattoos, naevus of Ota, cafe-aut-lait-macules, lentigines) and vascular lesions (hemangiomas, portwine stains, essential teleangiectasias, angiomas) can be treated. Addi tionally this laser has been occasionally used to remove Kaposi sarcomas an d epithelial skin tumors.