. 2016 Jul 18;6(3):363–378. doi: 10.1007/s13555-016-0134-5

Table 3.

Light and laser treatments for acne keloidalis nuchae

Study	n ^a	Mean age (range)	Therapy	Specifications	Fluence (J/cm²)	Spot Size	Outcomes	Side effects	Mean f/u (month)
Okoye et al. [21]	11	36.6 (25–45)	UVB Metal halide arc lamp 290–320 nm (peak 303 and 313 nm)	Split-scalp design 3×/week for 16 weeks on treatment side 3×/week for 8 weeks on control side	Minimal erythema dose 0.23–0.48 Increase 20% per wk for 1st 8 weeks Cumulative dose 29.7 at 8 weeks, 82.2 at 16 weeks	–	Moderate to marked improvement 34% reduction at 8 weeks 49% reduction at 16 weeks	Transient mild burning and erythema	2
Dragoni et al. [19]	1	23	595 nm PDL	PDL; 0.5 ms pulse	6.5	10 mm	PDL; transient improvement with lesions recurring after 1 month	None reported	6
Dragoni et al. [19]	1	23	1064 nm Nd:YAG laser	Nd:YAG; 2 pulses (5 and 18 ms) 4 sessions, 1 month apart	110–120	4 mm	Nd:YAG; Improvement in scarring and clinical picture	None reported	6
Esmat et al. [20]	16	31.88 (22–54)	1064 nm Nd:YAG laser	5 sessions 1 month apart Pulse duration 10–30 ms	35–45	–	Significant improvement 3 treatments 82% mean improvement after 5th session Early lesions marked (>75%) improvement Late lesions moderate to marked improvement (>51%)	Transient crusting Decreased hair density in treated area	12
Shah [18]	2	36, 50	810 nm diode laser	4 sessions at 4–6 weeks apart	Sessions 1 and 2 fluence 23, pulse 100 ms Sessions 3 and 4 fluence 26, pulse 100 ms	_	90–95% clearance of lesions	Transient mild burn in one patient	6
Azurdia et al. [17]	1	30	10,600 nm CO₂ laser	1 session of laser evaporation	150	–	Failure to respond referred for surgical intervention	–	1
Kantor et al. [16]	8	31 (19-40)	10,600 nm CO₂ laser	1 session of laser excision or evaporation	Excision 64,000 W/cm²	0.2 mm	No recurrence with laser excision, no general anesthesia needed Laser vaporization little benefit with recurrence	Minimal postoperative pain	3–47 (avg. 14.8)
Kantor et al. [16]	8	31 (19-40)	10,600 nm CO₂ laser	1 session of laser excision or evaporation	Vaporization 130–150 W/cm², 3–4 passes	2 mm		Minimal postoperative pain	3–47 (avg. 14.8)
Sattler et al. [31]	1	38	10,600 nm CO₂ Laser	1 session of laser excision Intralesional triamcinolone acetate 3 session of 400 cGY of radiation	Excision 64,000 W/cm²	–	No recurrence with combination therapy, regrowth of hair	_	_

Avg average, cGY centigray, FP Fitzpatrick skin type, Nd:YAG neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet, PDL pulse dye laser, y/o years old

^aAll patients receiving light and laser therapies were male