Is laser monotherapy effective for vulvar lichen sclerosus?
Two trials give conflicting results, and a considerable placebo effect may be at play, expert commentator says
Results of two small trials of fractionated CO2 laser treatment give conflicting results — one finding it performs better than standard steroid therapy, while the other suggests it is no better than sham treatment.
Both studies were carried out by US doctors and published in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In the first trial, led by Dr Linda Burkett of the University of Pittsburgh, 52 women with biopsy-proven vulvar lichen sclerosus were randomised to three office laser