How does Cryotherapy work ?

• Cryotherapy is a mostly destructive method and therefore biopsies tend to be less reliable but it does act through other mechanisms:
  • direct injury:
    • location: center of the lesion
    • when: acts when the lesion is frozen
  • vascular injury:
    • location: periphery of the lesion
    • when: acts upon thawing (reheating) of the lesion
  • apoptosis:
    • location: periphery of the lesion
    • when: acts up to 8 hours after rewarming
  • immunological:
    • location: whole body
    • when: late event

Contributors

Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland
Source of information: 2014 (03) – Pasquali P, new approaches to cryosurgery. 72nd AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) Annual Meeting (Denver, CO, United States of America)