The effect of Nd:YAG laser therapy on cutaneous leishmaniasis compared to intralesional meglumine antimoniate

INTRODUCTION: Nd:YAG laser is one of the commonly used lasers in dermatology. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Nd:YAG laser therapy (NDY) on cutaneous leishmaniasis in comparison with meglumine antimoniate (MA). Therefore, researchers are seeking to use a more effective, faster and less complicated method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted as a clinical trial on 16 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis treated simultaneously as follows: one lesion with Glucantime and another with NDY laser in the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2016–2017. Then, the demographic data, number of treatment sessions, mean duration of illness before the start of treatment, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and scars, and recovery in two methods were recorded and compared using SPSS-21. RESULTS: The mean age was 14.37 ±29.68. The mean duration of disease before the study was 1.84 ±0.50 months. The mean number of Glucantime injections was 7.31 ±4.01 and the mean number of laser therapy sessions was 2.56 ±0.89; this was significantly less than that of injections of the MA group (p < 0.001). Moreover, the MA scars were observed in 10 subjects and laser scars were seen in 3 subjects. Scars in patients treated with laser were significantly smaller than in those treated with Glucantime injections (p = 0.03). 13 subjects had MA therapy-induced PIH and 15 had laser therapy-induced PIH. CONCLUSIONS: The alternative method of laser use in the treatment of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis can lead to complete recovery of patients in shorter time and with less complications.