Objective: Nevus of Ota is a benign dermal melanocytic nevus that presents clinically as a bluish discoloration in the trigeminal region and that commonly affects the Asians. After introduction of the theory of selective photothermolysis, many investigators established the clinical efficacy of the Q-switched (ruby, alexandrite, and Nd:YAG) lasers. The published series are generally related to the treatment of adult patients with nevus of Ota. However, there has been no study to evaluate the efficacy of Q-switched ruby laser (QSRL) in children with nevus of Ota. Patients and Methods: Since 1994, thirty four patients with nevus of Ota treated with QSRL under general anesthesia. The patients' age ranged from 9 months to 8 years (mean 2.9 years). The parameters for QSRL were 694 nm wavelength, 30 nsec pulse duration, and 4 mm spot size. An energy fluence ranging from 5 J/cm2 to 7 J/cm2 was used depending on patient's skin phototype. The efficacy of the QSRL treatment was determined by the clinical response in term of degree of clearing, the number of treatment sessions for complete removal, early and late complication rate, and patients' (or parents') satisfaction. The mean follow-up period was 27.5 months, ranging from 3 to 76 months. Results: The mean number of treatment sessions was 3.4 per patient. Clinical responses were complete clearing in 14 patients and significant improvement in 20 patients. Hyperpigmentation was observed in two patients, but other complications such as hypopigmentation, texture change, and scarring were not observed. From our experience, significant clinical improvement, lowest rate of complications, and decreased number of treatments show that treatment of nevus of Ota in childhood period is much easier and effective than that in adults.
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