SynthesisLasers in medical science2022
Is low-level laser therapy effective in the treatment of herpes labialis? Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Lasers in medical science, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 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
5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Photobiomodulation as a promising approach in the management of nipple lesions during breastfeeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- Laser therapy for Bell's palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.Lasers in medical science · 2024Pooled it
- Use of infrared photobiomodulation with low-level laser therapy for reduction of bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity after in-office bleaching: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.Lasers in medical science · 2022Trial
- Anxiety and Sun Exposure as Triggers for Herpes Labialis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.International medical case reports journal · 2025Article
- Photobiomodulation therapy.JADA foundational science · 2025Review
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 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of herpes labialis. The searches were carried out independently by 2 researchers and the articles were selected through the electronic databases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria previously established. Initially, 480 articles were found, of which 7 randomized clinical trials and 1 clinical trial were selected. In total, 928 patients were included. In the meta-analysis, the mean healing time for laser use was significant, showing a mean reduction of 1.37 [CI 95% = 0.92 to 1.82] days for tissue healing (p < 0.0001). In the meta-analysis to evaluate the time for crust formation, there was no significant difference between the groups and no significant reduction in the mean time for crust formation (p = 0.150). Only one of the selected studies had a low risk of bias. The use of low-level laser proved to be effective in the treatment of herpes labialis. However, due to the high risk of bias in the included studies, there is a need to carry out new standardized studies to prove the effectiveness of this therapy.
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.