Sir.—The article "Condyloma Acuminata in Children" by De Jong et al (Journal 1982;136:704-706) failed to mention a relatively new, highly effective treatment modality. The carbon dioxide laser has been used for a variety of cutaneous lesions, including condyloma acuminatum, nevi, common and plantar warts, and some neoplastic lesions.1,2
Patients must be old enough to cooperate with injections of local anesthetic medications and must be able to remain still during laser surgery.
The advantages of laser surgery for condyloma acuminatum are many: (1) rapid lesion destruction (recurrences are rare); (2) precise control of tissue destruction; (3) excellent hemostasis; and (4) minimal postoperative edema, pain, and scarring.
The availability of carbon dioxide lasers has been severely limited by cost ($30,000 to $40,000). As the technology advances, costs will likely diminish, making these devices affordable to small groups and individual physicians.