Evaluation of Skin Recovery after Fractional CO2 Laser Treatment of Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus Using Multimodal Optical Coherence Tomography
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: laser treatment on vulvar skin in lichen sclerosus using multimodal optical coherence tomography (MM OCT). Materials and Methods: laser treatment with an interval of 30-40 days. In patients without vulvar pathology, the MM OCT examination was performed once, in patients with VLS it was done at the point of the greatest visible skin damage just before a punch biopsy, immediately after the first laser session, and 1 month after a full course of treatment. Results: laser treatment, it has been found that the recovery depended on the dermal condition before the treatment. In early VLS and early VLS with dermal edema (clinical cases 1 and 2) before the treatment, the MM OCT examination has shown a decreased epidermal thickness, unclear contrast between the epidermis and dermis, a decrease in the values of the OCT signal attenuation coefficient in the dermis, and a sharp reduction in the density of blood and lymphatic vessels. After treatment, the MM OCT examination demonstrated a complete recovery of vulvar skin structure and all quantitative values reached the level characteristic of normal vulvar skin. Before the treatment, a homogenization zone (sclerosis) was clearly visible in the MM OCT images of the dermis in late VLS (clinical case 3). After the treatment, complete recovery of the vulvar skin structure was not observed; the area of sclerosis was preserved; however, visually, there was an increase in the density of blood and lymphatic vessels in the affected area, which almost reached the level of normal vulvar skin. Conclusion: laser treatment of VLS.
Institutions: Privolzhsky Research Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology named after Academician V.I.Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Institute of Applied Physics, Nizhny Novgorod Regional Clinical Oncology Center, Sechenov University
Language: English
Topic: Genital Health and Disease
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4402063473