Lasers in dermatology and ophthalmology

Dermatology and ophthalmology are two specialties that have made exceptional use of laser technology. In dermatology, port wine stains and hemangiomas, neoplastic lesions, and adnexal tumors are amenable to laser treatment. In ophthalmology, the use of lasers to effect photocoagulation, photoradiation, photovaporization, photodisruption, and photodecomposition has permitted the treatment of vascular retinal disease, macular edema, intraocular tumors, open angle glaucoma, and angle closure glaucoma. Although great strides in laser technology have been made, the future is even more promising as laser devices are further modified to treat specific disease processes.