Laser surgery of the nail unit.

Abstract

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the use of lasers for the treatment of dermatologic disorders. A variety of laser systems has been found to be useful in the treatment of numerous conditions found in the nail unit. The vascular lesions of the nail unit have been treated with the pulsed dye, tunable dye, copper vapor, argon, and carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers. Pigmented lesions noted in the nail unit have been effectively treated with the Q-switched ruby, copper vapor, argon, and pulsed dye lasers. The CO2 laser has been widely used for the treatment of benign and premalignant neoplasms of the nail unit as well as inflammatory processes. Investigational lasers, such as the gold vapor and excimer lasers, may provide clinical benefits for diseases of the nail unit in the near future. The potential advantages of laser surgery of the nail unit include the selective destruction of vascular and pigmented tissue as well as precise tissue destruction.