Phototherapy promotes healing of chronic diabetic leg ulcers that failed to respond to other therapies.
OBJECTIVE
We tested the hypothesis that combined 660 and 890 nm LED phototherapy will promote healing of diabetic ulcers that failed to respond to other forms of treatment.


METHODS
A double-blind randomized placebo controlled design was used to study 23 diabetic leg ulcers in two groups of 14 patients. Group one ulcers were cleaned, dressed with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream and treated with "placebo" phototherapy (<1.0 J cm(-2)) twice per week, using a Dynatron Solaris 705(R) device. Group two ulcers were treated similarly but received 3 J cm(-2) dose.


RESULTS
At each of 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days of healing, mean ulcer granulation and healing rates were significantly higher for group two than the "placebo" group (P < 0.02). While "placebo" treated ulcers worsened during the initial 30 days, group two ulcers healed rapidly; achieving 56% more granulation and 79.2% faster healing by day 30, and maintaining similarly higher rates of granulation and healing over the "placebo" group all through. By day 90, 58.3% of group two ulcers had healed fully and 75% had achieved 90-100% healing. In contrast, only one "placebo" treated ulcer healed fully by day 90; no other ulcer attained > or =90% healing.


CONCLUSIONS
Combined 660 and 890 nm light promotes rapid granulation and healing of diabetic ulcers that failed to respond to other forms of treatment.
Minatel
Debora G
DG
Department of Biotechnology, University of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Frade
Marco Andrey C
MA
França
Suzelei C
SC
Enwemeka
Chukuka S
CS
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000528:radiation effects*