Facial anatomical site-related variation in short-term outcomes of laser treatment for congenital melanocytic nevi

Abstract

Laser treatment for congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) is controversial. Correlations between anatomical distribution of facial CMN and efficacy of laser treatment have not been characterized. A total of 90 facial CMN treated with ablative laser (Er:YAG or CO2 laser) were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical assessments were completed by at least two plastic surgeons using the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score. The mean IGA score was 4.37. The IGA scores recorded at the periorbital, temple/forehead, nose, cheek and lip/chin areas were 3.68, 5.88, 4.63, 4.52 and 4.92, respectively (p = 0.03). Moreover, facial CMN with uniform pigment distribution showed higher IGA scores than those with a non-uniform pigment distribution. Thickening, hairiness and age at first treatment were not statistically correlated with laser efficacy. Correlations between anatomical distribution and the efficacy of laser treatment are described for the first time. The subdivided anatomical distribution of facial CMN can yield meaningful information on predicting the efficacy of laser treatment.