Abstract

Spider leg veins represent an important aesthetic problem. This clinical study was performed to investigate the pulsed near-infrared diode laser (810 nm) treatment of spider leg veins. 35 female patients were enrolled in this study and treated twice with laser densities of energy (fluence) between 60 – 100 J/cm2 and a spot size of 50 mm2. Histological examinations were performed to investigate morphological and functional effects. Spectroscopic investigations were used as a non-invasive evaluation tool. After the first laser treatment 15 patients showed a complete disappearance (CR); in the remaining 20 patients a remarkable improvement (RI) was seen (N=35). After six months of follow-up CR was noted in 6 patients, RI in 6, a stable situation in 9, and scar formation in one patient (N=21). The histological examination before and after laser treatment showed no cellular inflammatory reactions. The mean vascular areas were significantly reduced after the laser treatments. Vis-NIR spectroscopic investigations showed almost an immediate occurrence of the haemoglobin double peak and a prompt decrease of the visible remittance after laser treatment of the skin. Pulsed diode laser therapy is a safe and effective option for the treatment of spider leg veins. Objective in vivo- monitoring by remission spectroscopy and the histology of biopsy specimens show the immediate and long-term laser effects of the irradiated skin in detail.

© 2003 SPIE