Effective treatment of nodular amyloidosis with carbon dioxide laser.

BACKGROUND: Nodular amyloidosis is a rare form of localized cutaneous amyloidosis that is characterized by nodules located on the extremities, trunk, genitalia, or face. In treatment regimens, many approaches have been described, including carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy.

OBJECTIVE: We present a case of a 60-year-old white male with a 20-year history of disseminated waxy, purpuric, yellowish, and bullous skin lesions on the trunk and extremities. The skin changes were accompanied by pain during palpation and were temporarily pruritic.

METHOD: Based on histologic and direct immunofluorescence test findings, the diagnosis of cutaneous nodular amyloidosis was established. Skin lesions were treated with a CO2 laser. During surgery, treated tissue was found to be slightly friable, and there was a little problem with hemostasis that correlated with amyloid infiltration of the dermis and blood vessels. However, after 8 weeks, we observed clinical improvement of all treated areas with the presence of atrophic scars. In the regions of laser therapy, no recurrence of the disease was observed during a 12-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Based on these results, we conclude that CO2 laser has a beneficial effect in the treatment of nodular amyloidosis; however, surgery procedures may be associated sometimes with tissue friability and poor hemostasis.