Clinics in Dermatology
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 454-461 , September 2007

Laser therapy for leg veins

  • Joy H. Kunishige, MD

      Affiliations

    • University of Texas Health Science Center, Department of Dermatology, 6655 Travis St. Suite 980, Houston, TX 77030
  • ,
  • Leonard H. Goldberg, MD

      Affiliations

    • DermSurgery Associates, 7515 Main, Suite 240, Houston, TX 77030
  • ,
  • Paul M. Friedman, MD

      Affiliations

    • University of Texas Health Science Center, Department of Dermatology, 6655 Travis St. Suite 980, Houston, TX 77030
    • DermSurgery Associates, 7515 Main, Suite 240, Houston, TX 77030
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 713 791 9966; fax: +1 713 791 9927.

References 

  1. Apfelburg DB, Maser MR, Lash H, White DN, Flores JT. Use of the argon and carbon dioxide lasers for treating superficial venous varicosities of the lower extremity. Lasers Surg Med. 1984;4:221–231
  2. Apfelburg DB, Maser MR, Lash H. Argon laser management of cutaneous vascular deformities. West J Med. 1976;124:99–101
  3. Anderson RR, Parrish J. Selective photothermolysis: precise microsurgery by selective absorption of the pulsed radiation. Science. 1983;220:524–526
  4. Tan OT, Murray S, Urban AK. Action spectrum of vascular specific injury using pulsed radiation. J Invest Dermatol. 1989;92:868–871
  5. Reichert D. Evaluation of the long-pulse dye laser for the treatment of leg telangiectasias. Dermatol Surg. 1998;24:737–740
  6. Kauvar ANB, Khrom T. Laser treatment of leg veins. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2005;24:184–192
  7. Weiss RA, Feied CF, Weiss MA. Vein diagnosis and treatment: a comprehensive approach. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2001;
  8. Ross EV, Domankevitz Y. Laser treatment of leg veins: physical mechanisms and theoretical considerations. Lasers Surg Med. 2005;36:105–116
  9. Altshuler GB, Anderson RR, Manstein D, Zenzie HH, Smirnov MZ. Extended theory of selective photothermolysis. Lasers Surg Med. 2001;29:416–432
  10. Sadick NS, Prieto VG, Shea CR, Nicholson J, McCaffrey T. Clinical and pathophysiologic correlates of 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser treatment of reticular veins and venulectasias. Arch Dermatol. 2001;137:613–617
  11. Goldman MP, Bergan JJ. Sclerotherapy: treatment of varicose and telangiectatic leg veins. St. Louis: Mosby; 2001;
  12. Duffy DM. Small vessel sclerotherapy: an overview. In:  Callen JP, et al. editor. Advances in dermatology. vol. 3:Chicago: Mosby; 1988;p. 221–242
  13. Weiss RA, Weiss MA. Incidence of side effects in the treatment of telangiectasias by compression sclerotherapy: hypertonic saline vs. polidocanol. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1990;16:800
  14. Spendel S, Prandl EC, Schintler MF, et al. Treatment of spider veins with the KTP (532 nm) laser—a prospective study. Lasers Surg Med. 2002;31:194–201
  15. Fournier N, Brisot D, Mordon S. Treatment of leg telangiectases with a 532 nm KTP laser in multipulse mode. Dermatol Surg. 2002;28:564–571
  16. Bernstein EF, Lee J, Lowery J, et al. Treatment of spider veins with the 595 nm pulsed-dye laser. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998;39(5 Pt 1):746–750
  17. Bernstein EF. The new-generation, high-energy 595 nm, long pulse-duration pulsed-dye laser effectively removes spider veins of the lower-extremity. Lasers Surg Med. 2007;39:218–224
  18. Kono T, Yamaki T, Ercocen AR, Fujiwara O, Nozaki M. Treatment of leg veins UIT the long pulse dye laser using variable pulse durations and energy fluences. Lasers Surg Med. 2004;35:62–67
  19. Tanghetti E, Sherr E. Treatment of telangiectasia using the multi-pass technique with the extended pulse width, pulsed dye laser (Cynosure V-Star). J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2003;5:71–75
  20. McDaniel DH, Ash K, Lord J, Newman J, Adrian RM, Zukowski M. Laser therapy of spider leg veins: clinical evaluation of a new long pulsed alexandrite laser. Dermatol Surg. 1999;25:52–58
  21. Kauvar AN, Lou WW. Pulsed alexandrite laser for the treatment of leg telangiectasia and reticular veins. Arch Dermatol 2000;136:1371-5.
  22. Eremia S, Li C, Umar SH. A side-by-side comparative study of 1064 nm Nd:YAG, 810 nm diode and 755 nm alexandrite lasers for treatment of 0.3-3 mm leg veins. Dermatol Surg. 2002;28:224–230
  23. Trelles MA, Allones I, Alvarez J, et al. The 800-nm diode laser in the treatment of leg veins: assessment at 6 months. JAAD. 2005;54:282–289
  24. Wollina U, Konad H, Schmidt W-D, Haroske G, Astafeva LG, Fassler D. Response of spider leg veins to pulsed diode laser (810 nm): a clinical, histological and remission spectroscopy study. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2003;5:154–162
  25. Sadick NS, Trelles MA. A clinical, histological, and computer-based assessment of the polaris LV, combination diode, and radiofrequency system, for leg vein treatment. Lasers Surg Med. 2005;36:98–104
  26. Trelles MA, Martin-Vazquez M, Trelles OR. Treatment effects of combined radio-frequency current and a 900 nm diode laser on leg blood vessels. Lasers Surg Med. 2006;38:185–195
  27. Omura NE, Dover JS, Arndt KA, Kauvar ANB. Treatment of reticular leg veins with a 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003;48:76–81
  28. Rogachefsky AS, Silapunt S, Goldberg DJ. Nd:YAG Laser (1064 nm) irradiation for lower extremity telangiectases and small reticular veins: efficacy as measured by vessel color and size. Dermatol Surg. 2002;28:220–225
  29. Black JF, Barton JK. Chemical and structural changes in blood undergoing laser photocoagulation. Photochem Photobiol. 2004;80:89–97
  30. Randeberg LL, Bonesronning JH, Dalaker M, Nelson J, Svaasand LO. Methemoglobin formation during laser induced photothermolysis of vascular skin lesions. Lasers Surg Med. 2004;34:414–419
  31. Mordon S, Brisot D, Fournier N. Using a “non uniform pulse sequence” can improve selective coagulation with a Nd:YAG laser (1.06 microm) thanks to methemoglobin absorption: a clinical study on blue leg veins. Lasers Surg Med. 2003;32:160–170
  32. Baumler W, Ulrich H, Haiti A, Landthaler M, Shafirstein G. Optimal parameters for the treatment of leg veins using Nd:YAG lasers at 1064 nm. Br J Dermatol. 2006;155:364–371
  33. Parlette EC, Groff WF, Kinshella MJ, Domankevitz Y, O'Neill J, Ross EV. Optimal pulse durations for the treatment of leg telangiectasias with a neodymium YAG laser. Lasers Surg Med. 2006;38:98–105
  34. Ross EV, Domankevitz Y. Laser leg vein treatment: a brief overview. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2003;5:192–197
  35. Lupton JR, Alster TS, Romero P. Clinical comparison of sclerotherapy versus long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser treatment for lower extremity telangiectases. Dermatol Surg. 2002;28:694–697
  36. Levy JL, Berwald C. Treatment of vascular abnormalities with a long-pulse diode at 980 nm. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2004;6:217–221
  37. Coles CM, Werner RS, Zelickson BD. Comparative pilot study evaluating the treatment of leg veins with a long pulse Nd:YAG laser and sclerotherapy. Lasers Surg Med. 2002;30:154–159
  38. Baumler W, Vural E, Landthaler M, Muzzi F, Shafirstein G. The effects of intense pulsed light (IPL) on blood vessels investigated by mathematical modeling. Lasers Surg Med. 2007;39:132–139
  39. Sadick NS. Laser and intense pulsed light therapy for the esthetic treatment of lower extremity veins. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2003;4:545–554
  40. Goldman MP, Eckhouse S. Photothermal sclerosis of leg veins. Dermatol Surg. 1996;22:323–330
  41. Schroeter CA, Wilder D, Reineke T, Thuerlimann W, Raulin C, Neumann HAM. Clinical significance of an intense, pulsed light source on leg telangiectasias of up to 1 mm diameter. Eur J Dermatol. 1997;7:38–42
  42. Weiss RA, Goldman MP, Weiss MA. Treatment of poikiloderma of civatte with an intense pulsed light source. Dermatol Surg. 2000;26:823–828
  43. Weiss RA. Evaluation of the venous system by Doppler ultrasound and photoplethysmography or light reflection rheography before sclerotherapy. Semin Dermatol. 1993;12:78–87
  44. Sadick NS. Manual of sclerotherapy. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Williams; 2000;
  45. Bone C. Tratamiento endoluminal de las varices con laser de diodo studio preliminary. Rev Patol Vasc. 1999;5:35–46
  46. Krivda MS. The latest approaches to treating leg veins. Skin Aging. 2005;13:72–77
  47. van der Stricht J, van Oppens C. Should varices be treated before or after pregnancy?. Phlebologie. 1991;44:321–326
  48. Sumner DS. Venous dynamics: varicosities. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1981;24:743
  49. Bouissou H, Julian M, Pieraggi M, Louge L. Vein morphology. Phlebologie. 1988;3(Suppl 1):1–8
  50. Widmer LK. Peripheral venous disorders: prevalence and sociomedical importance observations in 4529 apparently healthy persons. Basle Study III. Bern: Hans Huber; 1978;

PII: S0738-081X(07)00097-1

doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2007.05.008

Clinics in Dermatology
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 454-461 , September 2007