Long-Term Remission of Hailey-Hailey Disease by Er:YAG Ablative Laser Therapy
November 2024
in “
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
”
TLDR Er:YAG laser therapy effectively treats Hailey-Hailey disease, leading to long-term remission and improved quality of life.
In this observational study involving 8 patients with Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD), Er:YAG laser ablation was used to treat 77 erosive plaques, resulting in a complete remission of 97.4% of plaques after a single treatment, with a median follow-up of 38 months. Quality of life significantly improved, as measured by Skindex-29 and DLQI questionnaires. Electron microscopy revealed post-treatment improvements in skin ultrastructure, including decreased intercellular distance, increased desmosomes, and reduced keratin filament retraction, aligning with unaffected skin. These results suggest that Er:YAG laser therapy offers long-term remission and is a promising treatment for HHD.