Combined treatment of Favre-Racouchot syndrome with a superpulsed carbon dioxide laser: report of 50 cases

Nodular elastosis with cysts and comedones also known as Favre-Racouchot syndrome frequently occurs on actinically damaged skin of middle-aged or elderly Caucasian subjects. The disease usually affects simmetrically the skin mainly around the orbits. Treatment in the past has not been entirely satisfactory. Treatment of 50 patients with a superpulsed carbon dioxide laser in order to vaporize epidermis followed by extraction of cystic and comedonic material using soft pressure with a pair of forceps. Laser treatment was performed without previous topical or intralesional anesthetics because no pain was reported using the described laser parameters. Our combined therapeutic approach was safe and effective in all the patients, guaranteeing an excellent cosmetic result. The combined technique assures clinical efficacy, rapid recovery, and the possibility of repeated laser application without anesthesia. On the basis of our results, we recommend the novel combined modality in the treatment of Favre-Racouchot syndrome.