A comparative clinical and mycological study of Nd-YAG laser versus topical terbinafine in the treatment of onychomycosis
El-Tatawy RA, Abd El-Naby NM, El-Hawary EE, Talaat RAZ.J Dermatolog Treat. 2015; 26(5), 461-464.
Background:
Topical treatment of onychomycoses is time consuming, cost-intensive and subject to relatively high failure rates. Light-based devices may be effective treatment modalities.
Aim of this work:
To compare the clinical and mycological efficacy of Nd-YAG laser versus topical terbinafine in the treatment of onychomycosis. Patients and methods: This study included 40 patients with onychomycosis randomized to receive four sessions of Nd-YAG laser (group A) or topical terbinafine twice daily for six months (group B). Follow-up was performed monthly. Mycological examination was done at third and sixth months following the start of treatment.
Results:
After six months, all patients in group A showed marked improvement, while in group B only 50% of patients showed mild to moderate improvement. In addition, by the end of six months, 80% of the patients in group A showed mycological clearance, while all patients in group B still had positive cultures.
Conclusion:
Long pulse Nd-YAG laser therapy of onychomycosis is a safe and efficient method for treating onychomycosis. It is especially beneficial in elderly, compromised and hepatopathic patients for whom other alternative treatments could present some risks.
Keywords: Nd-YAG laser; onychomycosis; topical terbinafine.
