A new modality in the treatment of actinic cheilitis using the Er:YAG laser.

Background: Cheilitis is a precancerous skin lesion most often affecting the lower lip. We describe a technique in which this disorder can be treated using Er:YAG laser vaporization. The Er:YAG laser wavelength at 2940 nm lies in a very strong water absorption peak; tissue interaction results mainly in vaporization with minimal heat conduction to adjacent tissue.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and outcome of a new modality in the treatment of actinic cheilitis with the Er:YAG laser.

Methods: Between 2002 and 2005, 12 patients with actinic cheilitis were treated at our institute with the Er:YAG laser. All patients were cured with no recurrence to date, and none suffered postoperative complications.

Results: Patients were men and women aged between 37 and 71 years. The healing duration varied from 7 to 30 days (mean 22.33+/-6.91 days) and the follow-up ranged from 8 months to 3 years (mean 23.16+/-9.48 months). No recurrences were detected in our study.

Conclusion: Using the Er:YAG laser provides accurate tissue ablation, giving a very satisfactory cosmetic result, with a short healing period, no lip deformity and no sensation loss.