Angiokeratoma Circumscriptum Naeviforme: Successful Treatment with Carbon-Dioxide Laser Vaporization

Abstract

Angiokeratoma circumscriptum naeviforme (ACN) is an unusual type of localized angiokeratoma that occurs more frequently in females and is usually located on the buttocks or thighs, showing a unilateral distribution. ACN usually causes large lesions, which may require laser ablation because they often are too extensive to perform surgical excision. Carbon-dioxide laser is a known alternative for treating angiokeratomas. Report of two cases of ACN treated with carbon-dioxide laser vaporization. A 28-year-old woman with a hyperkeratotic, violaceus plaque on her left buttock and a 24-year-old woman with a similar lesion on her right buttock were treated with a carbon-dioxide laser. Two laser passes were performed on each lesion within a single session. A successful cosmetic aspect of treated areas was obtained, with minimal pigmentary or textural changes. After a 2-year follow-up in the first patient and a 6-month follow-up in the second patient, no recurrence of the lesions was observed. Our results, obtaining relevant cosmetic improvement after a few sessions of treatment, with low morbidity and minimal secondary effects, suggest that continuous-wave carbon-dioxide laser vaporization is a safe and effective treatment for ACN.