BC02 (P80): A systematic review of laser treatment of verrucous epidermal naevi

W. Khan,¹ A. Ibrahim,² M. Javed,³ J. Willet,² N. Ponnambath¹ and R. Goodwin¹

¹Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, UK; ²Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Adelaide, Australia; and ³Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, Swansea, UK

Verrucous epidermal naevus (VEN) and inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus (ILVEN) are usually difficult to treat and patients often seek treatment owing to cosmetic concerns. Laser offers a promising role owing to its ability to ablate tissues, shorter downtime and more controlled scarring. Several studies have evaluated their use in the treatment of epidermal naevi. We performed a systematic review to determine the clinical outcomes, efficacy and associated complications of laser treatment of verrucous epidermal naevi. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to perform this systematic review. A total of 30 retrospective studies with 206 patients were analysed. Of these patients, 40% were male and 60% were female. The most common lesion type was VEN (n = 180), followed by ILVEN (n = 26). The most common involved site was the head and neck (41%). The most common modality used for treatment was CO₂ laser. Other modalities used included argon laser, erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser; neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser; pulse-dye laser (PDL); Q-switched (QS); and ultraviolet excimer. A comparison of different techniques and clinical outcomes are presented. Complications were seen in 31·5% of treated patients. This review summarizes evidence of laser treatment for VEN and ILVEN skin lesions, which is both effective and acceptable to patients.