| Author, year |
Country |
Study population |
Sample size |
Study follow-up |
Study design |
Type of treatment |
Mycological cure rates |
Clinical improvement |
Adverse event |
| El-Tatawy et al., 2015 [31] |
Egypt |
40 patients with onychomycosis |
20 in the laser treatment group and 20 in the terbinafine group |
6 months |
Randomized controlled trial |
Laser treatment: 4 sessions. Terbinafine: twice daily |
Laser treatment: 16 out of 20. Terbinafine: 10 out of 20 |
13 out of 20; 7 out of 20 |
Laser treatment pain: 10 out of 20. Terbinafine: 0 out of 20 |
| Xu et al., 2014 [32] |
China |
53 individuals with onychomycosis |
23 in the laser treatment group and 20 in the terbinafine group |
24 weeks |
Randomized controlled trial |
Long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser and oral terbinafine |
17 out of 23 in laser treatment; 16 out of 20 in terbinafine |
15 out of 23 in laser treatment; 14 out of 20 in terbinafine |
0 out of 23 in laser treatment; 2 out of 20 in terbinafine |
| Rajbanshi et al., 2020 [33] |
China |
160 individuals with onychomycosis |
80 in the laser treatment group and 80 in the terbinafine group |
6 months |
Randomized controlled trial |
Laser treatment, terbinafine |
32 out of 80; 19 out of 80 |
18 out of 80; 3 out of 80 |
Nil |
| Kim et al., 2016 [34] |
Korea |
56 individuals with onychomycosis |
36 in the laser treatment group and 18 in the terbinafine group |
24 weeks or 6 months |
Randomized controlled trial |
1064 nm (Nd:YAG) laser treatment and topical treatment by terbinafine |
26 out of 36; 3 out of 18 |
28 out of 36; 4 out of 18 |
Nil |
| El-Tatawy et al. 2019 [35] |
Egypt |
30 individuals with onychomycosis |
20 in the laser treatment group and 10 in the topical tioconazole group |
6 months |
Randomized controlled trial |
CO2 laser versus topical tioconazole |
18 out of 20; 3 out of 10 |
19 out of 20; 4 out of 10 |
Nil |
| Kartik and Kohli, 2022 [36] |
India |
50 individuals |
25 in the laser treatment group and 25 in the topical antifungal treatment group |
6 months |
Prospective study |
Fractional CO2 versus terbinafine |
20 out of 25; 11 out of 25 |
|
|
| Shetty et al., 2023 [37] |
India |
50 patients with fingernail onychomycosis |
25 in the laser treatment group and 25 in the oral itraconazole pulse therapy group |
4 months |
Cohort study |
Fractional CO2 laser therapy versus oral itraconazole pulse therapy |
18 out of 25; 10 out of 25 |
14 out of 25; 6 out of 25 |
|
| Koren et al., 2018 [38] |
Israel |
60 individuals with onychomycosis |
30 in the laser treatment group and 30 in the amorolfine group |
6 months |
Open-label comparative study |
Fractional ablative CO2 laser versus amorolfine |
25 out of 30; 13 out of 30 |
|
3 out of 30; 1 out of 30 |
| Lu et al., 2016 [39] |
China |
34 individuals with onychomycosis |
25 in the laser treatment group and 11 in the 5% amorolfine group |
12 weeks |
Pilot study |
Laser treatment versus 5% amorolfine |
10 out of 25; 8 out of 11 |
10 out of 25; 6 out of 11 |
|
