Long-term follow-up in treatment of solar lentigo and café-au-lait macules with Q-switched ruby laser.

A Q-switched ruby laser was used for treatment of 10 patients with solar lentigo and 12 patients with café-au-lait macules. In this study, the lesions were treated with the laser at a rate of 6 J/cm2. The patients were observed for 10-21 months with an average of 13.8 months after the final session. Solar lentigos were treated once or twice, and the response rate was 70%. Café-au-lait macules were treated one to six times, and the response rate was 33%. Side effects, such as hyperpigmentation and scar formation, were rarely seen. Therefore, Q-switched ruby laser treatment is an effective treatment for epidermal pigmented lesions; however, in patients with café-au-lait macules, the responses to the treatment varied, and a repigmentation was seen in 50% of these patients. Thus, long-term follow-up is required for patients with café-au-lait macules.