Novel laser device effective for nasal telangiectasia treatment

(HealthDay)—The TRASER (Total Reflection Amplification of Spontaneous Emission Radiation) device is a safe and effective option for treatment of nasal telangiectasias, according to a small study published online April 6 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Paul M. Friedman, M.D., from the Dermatology and Laser Surgery Center in Houston, and colleagues evaluated the safety and efficacy of a novel configurable device in the treatment of nasal telangiectasias among 15 patients (aged 42 years) with Fitzpatrick skin types I and II. Efficacy was measured by blinded analysis of before and after (30 days) images and self-assessment by the subjects.

The researchers found that based on the 13 patients who completed the study, all achieved procedure success (defined as a 2-point improvement on the 5-point Telangiectasia Scale) at the end of the final treatment. In more than 75 percent of patients, a single treatment was effective, with at least a 75 percent reduction in blood vessels. Larger vessels responded well to longer laser pulse durations (40 milliseconds), while smaller vessels responded best to shorter pulse durations (25 milliseconds). No serious adverse events were reported.

"These treatments were well tolerated and provided high patient satisfaction," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to Solta Medical.