SynthesisMedicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)2022
The Low-Fluence Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser Treatment for Melasma: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- Facial laser complications (A Five Year Review).Lasers in medical science · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of Q-switched laser combined with intense pulsed light in treating melasma: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Novel melasma therapy using combined low fluence and microsecond pulse Q switched 1064 nm neodymium doped yttrium aluminium garnet laser.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- [Q-switched Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser combined with topical metformin lotion for treatment of chloasma in mice].Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University · 2026Article
- Clinical features, safety, and efficacy of combining Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and FOBDermatology reports · 2026Article
- Article
- Efficacy and Safety of Laser-Based Therapies for Melasma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Cureus · 2026Review
- Efficacy and Safety of 675-nm Laser Monotherapy for Melasma in Fitzpatrick Skin Types III-V: A Prospective Pre-Post Intervention Study.Dermatology and therapy · 2026Article
- Effect of dual optical pulse scheme with supra and subthreshold fluences on laser micro ablation of pigment.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Integrating VYC-12L With Energy-Based Devices for Skin-Quality Improvement: Global Expert Considerations for Safe and Effective Outcomes.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Article
- Synergistic Effects of Thread Lifting, Autologous Fat Grafting, and Multi-Modal Laser Therapy in Facial Rejuvenation.Aesthetic surgery journal. Open forum · 2025Article
- Evolution of Pathogenesis and Trends in the Treatment of Melasma in Last Two Decades.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Article
- Retinal injury from a laser skin resurfacing device during medical tourism: a public health concern.BMC ophthalmology · 2024Article
- The 675-nm wavelength for treating facial melasma.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2023Article
- Treatment of Combined Freckles with Chloasma Using Q-Switched 1064 nm Laser.International journal of clinical practice · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Melasma is a common pigmentary disorder with a complex pathogenesis, of which the treatment is challenging. Conventional treatment often leads to inconsistent results with unexpected pigmentary side effects and high recurrence rates. Recently, the low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (LFQSNY) has been widely used for treating melasma, especially in Asia. We reviewed literatures on the LFQSNY treatment of melasma published between 2009 and May 2022 to evaluate the efficacy and adverse events, including its combination therapy. A systematic PubMed search was conducted and a total of 42 articles were included in this study. It was hard to summarize the heterogenous studies, but LFQSNY appeared to be a generally effective and safe treatment for melasma considering the results of previous conventional therapies. However, mottled hypopigmentation has been occasionally reported to develop and persist as an adverse event of LFQSNY, which may be associated with the high accumulated laser energy. When used aggressively, even LFQSNY can induce hyperpigmentation via unwanted inflammation, especially in darker skin. Although few studies have reported considerable recurrence rates three months after treatment, unfortunately, there is a lack of the long-term follow-up results of LFQSNY in melasma. To enhance the effectiveness and reduce the adverse events, LFQSNY has been used in combination with other treatment modalities in melasma, including topical bleaching agents, oral tranexamic acid, chemical peeling, or diverse energy-based devices, which generally reduced side effects with or without significant superior efficacy compared to LFQSNY alone.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.