This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
To the Editor.—
Poikiloderma of Civatte is a chronic discoloration of the side of the neck, less commonly seen on the lateral aspects of the cheeks and chest. This discoloration is also associated with some brown pigmentation, and is most commonly found in middle-aged and elderly women. While this process is usually asymptomatic, there are reports of hyperesthesia in association with the discoloration. Previous attempts to correct this process have been unsuccessful. These attempts have included hydroquinones, electrosurgery, argon laser photocoagulation, and cryotherapy.The pulsed tunable dye laser has been demonstrated to be effective for port-wine stains and telangiectasias. This laser, which emits light at 585 nm and has a pulse duration of 405 microseconds, is capable of limiting thermal damage to the targeted blood vessel with a very low incidence of scarring or pigmentary change. This laser has the unique advantage of not requiring significant local anesthesia in the