[Medical dermatologic laser therapy. A review].

The medical indications for laser therapy have been somewhat overlooked, perhaps because of the success of cosmetic laser therapy. As a result, many effective medical treatments are not covered by insurance companies. Lasers are helpful in many aspects of dermatologic treatment. Examples include pigmented lesions (Becker nevus), benign tumors (organoid nevi, adenoma sebaceum), dyschromias (traumatic tattoos), inflammatory diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (lupus erythematosus, scars), hypertrichosis, premalignant lesions, and vascular lesions (hemangiomas and malformations). The various disorders which can effectively be treated with lasers are reviewed.