Absence of human papillomavirus DNA in the plume of erbium:YAG laser–treated warts☆,☆☆,★,★★
Section snippets
METHODS
Five patients with clinically typical verrucae vulgares of the extremities were selected for study. From each patient, after intradermal 1% lidocaine with epinephrine anesthesia, one half of a typical wart was removed with iris scissors and place in 10% aqueous formalin solution and submitted for histopathologic diagnosis and HPV DNA detection (HPV1 and HPV2) with in situ hybridization for HPV (Enzo Clinical Labs, Inc.). Bleeding was stopped with pressure and sometimes with 35% aqueous aluminum
RESULTS
For all five submitted specimens, the histopathologic diagnosis was verruca vulgaris, and HPV2 DNA was found in all five warts by in situ hybridization. By polymerase chain reaction with consensus primers for HPV2, HPV DNA as not detected in the erbium:YAG laser plume after ablation of these same warts.
DISCUSSION
In this study, the HPV infecting the wart was absent in the erbium:YAG laser plume. The erbium:YAG laser factors (2 mm spot size, 175 mj) used in this study were typically used in clinical practice. This absence of HPV in the erbium:YAG laser plume is in contrast to the presence of HPV DNA after wart treatment with the carbon dioxide laser7, 9 or electrocoagulation.7 The polymerase chain reaction for HPV used in the current study is more sensitive than the dot blot hybridization technique10
References (13)
- et al.
Infectious papillomavirus in the vapor of warts treated with carbon dioxide laser or electrocoagulation: detection and protection
J Am Acad Dermatol
(1989) - et al.
Human papillomavirus–associated tumors of the skin and mucosa
J Am Acad Dermatol
(1997) - et al.
Pulsed 2.94 micron erbium:YAG laser skin ablation: experimental results and first clinical application
Clin Exp Dermatol
(1990) - et al.
Fast and effective skin ablation with an er:YAG laser: determination of ablation rates and thermal damage zones
Lasers Surg Med
(1997) - et al.
Pulsed carbon dioxide laser, trichloroacetic acid, Baker-Gordon phenol, and dermabrasion: a comparative clinical and histologic study in a porcine model
Arch Dermatol
(1996) - et al.
Animal model of skin resurfacing using the Ultrapulse carbon dioxide laser
Ann Plast Surg
(1995)
Cited by (0)
- ☆
In private practice, San Antonio.
- ☆☆
Reprints are not available from the authors.
- ★
*Undergraduate student, Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville.
- ★★
0190-0622/98/$5.00 + 0 16/1/87614