Histologic comparison of the pulsed dye laser and copper vapor laser effects on pig skin

Albino pig skin was exposed to the copper vapor (CVL) and flashlamp pulsed dye (PDL) lasers at 578 nm with a 3 mm diameter spotsize over a range of fluences until purpura and whitening were first established. The total irradiation time was the parameter that was varied in order for the CVL to reach the desired fluence. The lowest fluence producing each clinical endpoint was designated the threshold fluence: 34 J/cm2 was required to produce purpura using the CVL compared to 7.5 J/cm2 with the PDL laser. Histologically, skin exposed to purpura fluences from the CVL revealed the presence of constricted, disrupted papillary dermal blood vessels with trapped RBC's within them which were unlike those exposed to PDL where the irradiated vessels were dilated and packed with masses of intravascular agglutinated RBC's. The whitening threshold fluences for the CVL and PDL lasers were 67 J/cm2 and 29 J/cm2, respectively. Streaming of epidermal cells and dermal collagen denaturation were observed in CVL irradiated skin, compared to occasional dyskeratotic epidermal cells and focal dermal collagen denaturation following PDL exposure. The mechanisms responsible for the clinical and histologic changes produced by the two laser systems are discussed.