Spertell, 2000  Title: Review of clinical data on hair removal
using the MW 2000 microwave delivery system
Authors: Spertell RB, Lowe NJ, Garden JM, Bakus
AD, Duffy DM, Ruzicka T, Billman, Kaplan RP
Journal: ---
PMID: ---
Affiliated institution: ---
Cited in: Promotional material for
manufacturer Microwave Medical
The cover of this review bears the name of Microwave Medical's
Chief Scientist, Robert B. Spertell, a former neurologist. Spertell
lost his license to practice medicine after a serious breach of
ethics that led to criminal charges. I believe that should be
taken into consideration when evaluating the data presented in
his review.
The four unpublished reports Spertell cites are:
Duffy (1998): 12 subjects completed
the 14-day study (12 started). 11 skin Types I-IV and one Type
VI showed mild pain in one patient (same as placebo) and mild
redness in another.
Mitchell (1998): 3 subjects completed
the 12-month study (21 started). 11 skin Type I-IV and 10 skin
Type V-VI patients given multiple pulses at about 20-28 J/cm2
on their arm, shoulder, underarm, or chest reported mild discomfort
that was fluence-dependent. Three patients reported pigment
change. The study claims to have observed 50-75% hair reduction
in an unknown number of patients at 3 months. They further claim
that 3 patients followed one year after a single treatment maintained
these levels.
Ruzicka (1998): 12 subjects completed
the 4-month study (48 started). Subjects had skin Types I-IV,
and were mostly treated on the arm or leg at about 23-31 J/cm2.
The results for the 14 areas treated at 10 joules with a 50ms
pulse are reported. They claim to have observed 4 areas with
more than 75% hair loss, 2 with 50-75% loss, 7 with 25-50% loss,
and 1 with less than 25% loss
Lowe (1999): 6 subjects completed the
6-month study (28 started), 19 had one treatment, 9 had a second
treatment within 2 months of the first. All but 1 had skin Type
I-III, all had medium to dark hair, except two (who both dropped
out after month 2). 1 patient had blistering. At 6 months the
six returning subjects averaged 53% reduction, with the 1 returning
patient who had 2 treatments having 66% reduction.
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