Fractional 2940-nm Er:YAG laser-assisted drug delivery of timolol maleate for the treatment of deep infantile hemangioma

Abstract

Objective

To study the efficacy and safety of fractional 2940 nm laser-assisted drug delivery of timolol maleate 0.5% solution for the treatment of deep IHs.

Methods

In this study, 30 deep IHs were included, and a fractional 2940 nm laser was applied with 2-weeks intervals. Topical timolol maleate 0.5% was applied under occlusion for 30 min four times/day for 24 weeks. The plasma concentration of timolol maleate was monitored for 0.5 h after the first treatment. The HAS scores and the depth, lateral diameter, vertical diameter of hemangiomas were evaluated before treatment, at 8 weeks and 24 weeks of treatment, and at 4 weeks after treatment.

Results

Twenty-three patients (76.7%) demonstrated excellent regression, 4(13.3%) showed good response, and 3(10%) experienced moderate regression. The HAS score was declined from 3.6 ± 0.7 to 2.3 ± 0.6 at 8 weeks, and from 1.3 ± 0.5 to 0.8 ± 0.5 at 24 weeks (p < .05). Plasma timolol concentration was not detected in 11 infants, and the rest ranged from 1.580 pg/mL to 14.718 pg/mL, which were <1 ng/mL. No systemic complications were observed in any patients.

Conclusion

Fractional 2940 nm laser-assisted drug delivery of timolol maleate 0.5% is considered to be an effective and safe method for treating deep IHs.

Keywords:

• Fractional laser
• timolol maleate
• drug delivery
• deep IHs

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Scientific Research Program of Inner Mongolia Health and Family Planning Commission in 2017.