Laser Treatment of Onychomycosis Using a Novel 0.65-millisecond Pulsed Nd:YAG 1064-nm Laser

Lisa G. Hochman, MD, Dermatology, Morristown, NJ

Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, January 2011

Onychomycosis is a common disorder of the nails. Treatment modalities include oral and topical antifungals, surgical treat- ment or a combination of these therapies. Cure rates remain low with relatively high relapse rates seen after successful treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the treatment of onychomycosis using a novel 0.65-millisecond (ms) pulsed 1064-nm laser. Eight subjects were treated over two to three sessions spaced at least 3 weeks apart. Of the eight subjects evaluated, seven had negative post-treatment cultures after the second or third session. Treatments were well toler- ated by all subjects. These data suggest that treatment of onychomycosis with a 0.65-ms pulsed Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser should be studied further to determine the long-term clinical and microbiologic effect. The optimal number of treatment sessions for each patient needs to be determined.