Comparison of treatment of cherry angiomata with pulsed-dye laser, potassium titanyl phosphate laser, and electrodesiccation a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: To assess the comparative efficacy of energy treatments in resolving cherry angiomata. Design: Rater-blinded randomized controlled trial. Setting: Outpatient dermatology clinic in an urban referral academic medical center. Participants: Fifteen healthy adults aged 21 to 65 years were enrolled. Two eligible individuals who were approached declined to participate, and no one enrolled was withdrawn for adverse effects. Interventions: For each participant, 3 areas on the torso were demarcated such that each area contained 4 cherry angiomata. Each area was then randomly assigned to receive 1 of the 3 treatments: pulsed-dye laser (PDL) (595 nm), potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser (532 nm), or electrodesiccation. Two treatments spaced 2 weeks apart were delivered to each area. Main Outcome Measures: Standardized photographs from before treatment and 3 months after the last treatment were evaluated for color and texture on visual analog scales. Results: Mean change in color was a significant improvement of 7.77 (P