Onychomycosis Hybrid laser treatment

Abstract

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nails. It does not usually cause discomfort, but it alters the aesthetics of the affected nails and, if not treated in time, it can become chronic and spread. The onychomycosis are fungi of the dermatophyte type.
Onychomycosis is the disease that most frequently affects the nails of humans (50%), being responsible for more than half of the cases of nail alteration. Studies show prevalence figures between 2% - 18% of the population.
It manifests in the form of onychodystrophy or alteration of the normal appearance of one or more fingernails or toenails. Toenails are affected more often than fingernails. It is very common to affect several nails at the same time. Clinically there may be onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis with exfoliation, pain, and nail deformities, change of nail color ranging from yellowish or greenish to brown or black.
The treatment of onychomycosis may require taking oral antifungal drugs (undecenoic acid, azoles and sometimes allylamines) combined with long-term treatment (2 to 18 months), they can cause liver damage, kidney failure, anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, gastrointestinal disorders, and alopecia among other diseases.
In addition, other treatments can be performed, ranging from surgery (laminectomy, matrixectomy), onychoabrasion, to the use of new therapies such as: photodynamic therapy, iontophoresis, and lasers today.
The laser is a revolutionary treatment for Onychomycosis. It is a simple and effective procedure that uses CO2 10600nm and Erbium 1570nm lasers to act to the depths of the damaged nail and the underlying skin, weakening and eliminating the fungus that has invaded the patient's nail.