Topical ALA PDT for the treatment of severe acne vulgaris.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-medicated photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of severe acne vulgaris.


METHODS
A total of 78 Chinese patients with Grade 4 severe facial acne were treated with 1-3 courses of ALA PDT. ALA cream (10%) was applied topically to acne lesions for 3 h. The lesions were irradiated by a LED light of 633 nm at dose levels of 50-70 J/cm(2) at 66 mW/cm(2). Clinical assessment was conducted before and after treatment up to 6 months.


RESULTS
22% of patients showed excellent improvement after one-course treatment and another 34% showed excellent improvement after two-course. The rest (44%) required three-course treatment to further reduce the number and size of residual lesions. Adverse effects were minimal. The symptoms and signs in recurrent cases (14%) were much milder and responded well to conventional topical medication.


CONCLUSIONS
ALA PDT is a simple, safe and effective therapeutic option for the treatment of severe acne. Further studies to fully understand its mechanisms and optimize its effectiveness are needed.
Wang
Xiu-Li
XL
Shanghai Skin Diseases and STD Hospital, Shanghai 200050, PR China. xlwang2001@yahoo.cn
Wang
Hong-Wei
HW
Zhang
Ling-Lin
LL
Guo
Ming-Xia
MX
Huang
Zheng
Z
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid