Long pulsed Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser in treatment of onychomycosis

Rezk, Shymaa Mostafa; ElRefaai, Asmaa Mohamed; Elghabaty, Aya Abdalrasoul; Abdel Hamid, Hasnaa S; Salem, Rehab M

doi:10.21608/bmfj.2022.165235.1678

Long pulsed Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser in treatment of onychomycosis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Lecturer of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology Faculty of Medicine - Benha University, Egypt

² Dermatology,Medicine, Benha,Queisna, Egypt

³ dermatology,medicine,Banha university, Banha,Egypt

⁴ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Egypt

⁵ Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology Faculty of Medicine - Benha University, Egypt

10.21608/bmfj.2022.165235.1678

Abstract

Onychomycosis is a common nail disease, especially in older patients. Various treatment options are currently available for onychomycosis; however, their limitations include high failure rates, time-consuming nature, high cost, and high risk of drug interactions. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of onychomycosis treatment with a long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser. Patients and Methods: ten patients were assessed. The study involved treatment with a long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser in two sessions at 4-week intervals. Fungal culture at two media sabourauds dextrose agar with cycloheximide and without cycloheximide and microscopic examination were performed at the start and then a one-month after the second session. Results: Of all ten patients after two sessions, the mycological test results were negative in eight (80%). The result showed that the mean improvement percentage was 60.50 %. Side effects were mild and limited to mild pain and slowing of the growth of nails after the laser procedure. Conclusions: Long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser therapy is safe and effective for treating onychomycosis.

Keywords