Clinicopathologic and Immunohistochemical Findings of Several Pigmented Skin Lesions after Copper Vapor Laser Treatment

Kim, You Chan; Han, Bong Gyun; Park, Hyang Joon; Cinn, Yong Woo; Rhee, Chung Ku

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There have been only a few morphological studies after laser treatment of pigmented skin lesions.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose was to investigate the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical changes following copper vapor laser treatment of superficial pigmented skin lesions.
METHODS
Three patients with Becker's nevus, 1 patient with partial unilateral lentiginosis, and 1 patient with nevus spilus were irradiated with copper vapor laser. Forty-two biopsies were taken before, immediately after, and 3 months after laser treatment. Hematoxylin-eosin, Fontana-Masson, and S-100 protein staining were performed for the evaluation of the histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings of the specimens.
RESULTS
Clinically, immediate greyish whitening, immediate erythema, and delayed edema were observed immediately after copper vapor treatment. Histopathologically, suprabasilar separation with elongated cells in the basal cell layer was observed immediately after laser treatment. A few vacuolated cells were found mainly in the basal cell layer. Fontana-Masson and S-100 protein staining positivity decreased a lot in the epidermis, but they hardly decreased in the dermis immediately after laser treatment.
CONCLUSION
For the treatment of pigmented skin lesions, copper vapor laser was more effective in the epidermal pigmented structures than the dermal pigmented structures. Selective photothermolysis of melanosome was not so prominent after copper vapor laser treatment.