The use of low-energy photon therapy in the treatment of leg ulcers – a preliminary study

Background: Leg ulcers affect 0.1–0.4% of the population and are a significant source of morbidity the world over. Many ulcers are chronic having responded poorly to conventional therapies.Objective: We evaluated low-energy laser therapy (LELT) (or low-energy photon therapy, LEPT) as a form of biostimulation for the treatment of venous leg ulcers.Methods: In this 24-week uncontrolled trial, we entered nine outpatients with 15 venous ulcers of 6–78 weeks duration, many of which had been unresponsive to conventional therapy. The leg ulcers were treated with two monochromatic optical sources. One provided a wavelength (λ) of 660 nm and the second source delivered infrared irradiation of wavelength 880 nm. Two optical probes were used, one of which consisted of an array of 22 monochromatic sources, operating at a wavelength of 660 nm and covering an area of 6 × 10 cm2. Each source had a power (P) of 6 mW and an energy density (D) of 4 J/cm2, continuous wave mode. The second probe had seven infrared sources, o...

[1]  N. Salansky,et al.  Analytical method for calculation of temperature distribution in laser‐irradiated media with an external cooled surface , 1994 .

[2]  Z. Pojda,et al.  Treatment of non-healing ulcers with rhGM-CSF and skin grafts , 1994, The Lancet.

[3]  Nili Grossman,et al.  LIGHT EFFECT ON FIBROBLAST PROLIFERATON , 1993 .

[4]  W. Westerhof.  Leg ulcers : diagnosis and treatment , 1993 .

[5]  Gogia Pp,et al.  Effects of helium-neon laser on wound healing. , 1992 .

[6]  W. Eaglstein,et al.  Topical use of human recombinant epidermal growth factor (h-EGF) in venous ulcers. , 1992, The Journal of dermatologic surgery and oncology.

[7]  Hans H. F. I. van Breugel,et al.  Power density and exposure time of He‐Ne laser irradiation are more important than total energy dose in photo‐biomodulation of human fibroblasts in vitro , 1992, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[8]  T. Lundeberg,et al.  Low-Power HeNe Laser Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers , 1991, Annals of plastic surgery.

[9]  L. Reilly,et al.  A prospective randomized trial of autologous platelet-derived wound healing factors for treatment of chronic nonhealing wounds: a preliminary report. , 1991, Journal of vascular surgery.

[10]  Mulder Gd.  If wounds could talk. , 1991 .

[11]  M. Géniaux,et al.  Treatment of leg ulcers with an allogeneic cultured‐keratinocyte‐collagen dressing , 1990, Clinical and experimental dermatology.

[12]  R. Isseroff,et al.  Low-energy helium-neon laser irradiation increases the motility of cultured human keratinocytes. , 1990, The Journal of investigative dermatology.

[13]  E. Leen,et al.  The use of infrared laser therapy in the treatment of venous ulceration , 1990, Annals of vascular surgery.

[14]  T. Karu,et al.  Photobiology of low-power laser effects. , 1989, Health physics.

[15]  J. Basford,et al.  Low‐energy laser therapy: Controversies and new research findings , 1989, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[16]  R. McCarthy,et al.  Effect of helium‐neon and infrared laser irradiation on wound healing in rabbits , 1989, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[17]  J. Basford,et al.  Does low‐energy helium‐neon laser irradiation alter “in vitro” replication of human fibroblasts? , 1988, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[18]  J. Uitto,et al.  Cellular effects of the pulsed tunable dye laser at 577 nanometers on human endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and erythrocytes: An in vitro study , 1988, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[19]  J. Uitto,et al.  Biostimulation of wound healing by lasers: experimental approaches in animal models and in fibroblast cultures , 1987 .

[20]  J. Uitto,et al.  Biostimulation of Wound Healing in Vivo by a Helium-Neon Laser , 1987, Annals of plastic surgery.

[21]  S. Evangelista,et al.  Effect of diodes‐laser silver arsenide‐aluminium (Ga‐Al‐As) 904 nm on healing of experimental wounds , 1987, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[22]  J. Witkowski,et al.  Cutaneous Ulcer Therapy , 1986, International journal of dermatology.

[23]  J. Uitto,et al.  Demonstration of elevated type I and type III procollagen mRNA levels in cutaneous wounds treated with helium-neon laser. Proposed mechanism for enhanced wound healing. , 1986, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[24]  M. Landthaler,et al.  Applications of laser light of low power density. Experimental and clinical investigations. , 1986, Current problems in dermatology.

[25]  W. Yoshida,et al.  Varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency in Brazil: prevalence among 1755 inhabitants of a country town. , 1986, International journal of epidemiology.

[26]  J. Basford,et al.  Comparison of cold-quartz ultraviolet, low-energy laser, and occlusion in wound healing in a swine model. , 1986, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[27]  T. S. Lam.  Laser stimulation of collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblast cultures , 1986 .

[28]  J J Dale,et al.  Chronic ulceration of the leg: extent of the problem and provision of care. , 1985, British medical journal.

[29]  E. Mester,et al.  The biomedical effects of laser application , 1985, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[30]  J. Kahn.  Case Reports: Open Wound Management with the HeNe (6328 AU) Cold Laser , 1984 .

[31]  W. Su,et al.  Management of leg ulcers with hydrocolloid occlusive dressing. , 1984, Archives of dermatology.

[32]  G. Monfrecola,et al.  Inadequate effect of helium-neon laser on venous leg ulcers. , 1984, Photo-dermatology.

[33]  R Wilson,et al.  Effects of Low Energy Laser on Wound Healing In a Porcine Model , 1984, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[34]  B. Stuck,et al.  Effects of low‐level energy lasers on the healing of full‐thickness skin defects , 1983, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[35]  J. Kana,et al.  Effect of low-power density laser radiation on healing of open skin wounds in rats. , 1981, Archives of surgery.

[36]  M. Kroetlinger.  ON THE USE OF THE LASER IN ACUPUNCTURE , 1980 .