Cryotherapy versus fractional carbon dioxide laser in patchy alopecia areata: a self-controlled comparative study
Ahmed A. Afify, Maha A. Shaheen, Mays Q. OjaimiIntroduction
Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune noncicatricial alopecia. Many treatments are available but with variable results. Few studies have reported fractional carbon dioxide (FCO2) laser and cryotherapy in treating AA through various mechanisms.
Objective
This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of FCO2 laser in comparison to cryotherapy in the treatment of AA.
Patients and methods
This prospective self-controlled comparative study included 22 patients with patchy AA (3 patches). The three patches in each patient were treated by one of the following methods by simple randomization: FCO2 laser, cryotherapy, and the third patch was left without treatment as a control. The sessions were repeated every 2 weeks for six sessions.
Results
Comparison of single-blinded dermatologist assessment of clinical response between the three groups revealed a statistically significantly better response with FCO2 laser and cryotherapy compared with control patches, but there was no statistically significant difference between the FCO2 laser group versus the cryotherapy group (
Conclusion
Both cryotherapy and FCO2 laser therapy are effective and safe in patchy AA treatment with nearly similar efficacy.