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Electrocaustic therapy is very frequently applied in dermatology. It's suitable for intraoperative hemostasis as well as ablation of superficial skin tumors, such as condylomata acuminata (genital warts), fibromas or angiomas.
This method can also be used for the therapy of vascular skin lesions, such as spider naevi or telangiectasias (small dilated veins). The blood is expressed from the blood vessel and the central point of emission is briefly touched with the tip of the desiccator. Small vessels can alm,ost always be obliterated, however leaving behind a small hyperpigmented spot (a hyperpigmented scar).
Electrocaustic is also used for permanent removal of hair. The needle of electrodesiccator is placed at he root of the hair and a weak current is applied to the root to destroy it by the generated heat or electrochemical reactions. Common negative side-effects are the resulting inflammatory response asa well as scar formation. For this indication the laser hair removal is better suited and therefore the recommended alternative.
Principle:
For treatment, high-fluent currents are applied by a device that has a needle, a sling or a small sphere attached to its end. The heat that is generated by the current leas to coagulation and hemostasis or heat ablation (evaporation) of the touched tissue.
Advantages of this treatment are simple accomplishment, immediate hemostasis upon ablation as well as heat-inactivation of infectious material (for example, of papilloma virus when ablating viral warts/ condylomata acuminata).
Disadvantages: Treatment is painful and requires local anesthesia. Due to the generated heat during the ablation process, unaesthetic scarring may result, e.g. if contact times are too long or ablation is extended to deeper layers of the skin)
