Authors
Marianne Gamper, Irena Zivanovic, Helena Bischofberger, Volker Viereck
Published in
Archives of gynecology and obstetrics. Jul 01, 2026. Epub Jul 01, 2026.
Abstract
To assess the 12-month efficacy of a novel non-ablative dual Nd:YAG/Er:YAG laser therapy for vulvar lichen sclerosus (LS) and to evaluate the impact of crossover laser treatment following initial topical corticosteroid therapy.
This study presents the 1-year data of a prospective observational trial. Between baseline and 6 months, women with vulvar LS were randomized to receive either dual Nd:YAG/Er:YAG laser therapy or topical clobetasol propionate. Between 6 and 12 months, optional steroid or laser therapies were offered.
In the laser group, 34 of 44 patients (77%) required no additional treatment between 6 and 12 months, indicating sustained treatment effects. The total LS score improved significantly during this period (mean change -0.35 ± 0.60; 95% CI -0.56 to -0.14; p = 0.004), while other parameters showed non-significant improvements. In the corticosteroid group, 20 of 22 patients (91%) opted for a crossover to laser therapy. Following three laser sessions, the total LS score improved markedly (mean change -1.50 ± 0.83; 95% CI -1.89 to -1.11; p < 0.001), primarily driven by a reduction in atrophy (p < 0.001). Patient-reported improvement (PGI-I) increased from 45 to 77% (p = 0.008). At the 12-month follow-up, outcomes were comparable between the two study groups.
Non-ablative dual Nd:YAG/Er:YAG laser therapy resulted in significant and sustained clinical improvement in vulvar LS over 12 months. Crossover to laser therapy after initial corticosteroid treatment further enhanced both objective and subjective outcomes.
NCT03926299; date of registration: 24 April 2019.
PMID:
42384057
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Jul 2026.
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