Photodynamic therapy for acne vulgaris: a randomized, controlled, split-face clinical trial of topical aminolevulinic acid and pulsed dye laser therapy.
BACKGROUND
There remains the need for more effective therapeutic options to treat acne vulgaris. Interest in light-based acne treatments has increased, but few randomized, controlled clinical trials assessing the value of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for acne have been reported.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to examine the efficacy of PDT using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and pulsed dye laser therapy in the treatment of acne.


METHODS
We conducted a randomized, controlled, split-face, single-blind clinical trial of 44 patients with facial acne. Patients were randomized to receive three pulsed dye laser treatments to one side of the face after a 60-90 min ALA application time, while the contralateral side remained untreated and served as a control. Serial blinded lesion counts and global acne severity ratings were performed.


RESULTS
Global acne severity ratings improved bilaterally with the improvement noted to be statistically significantly greater in treated skin than in untreated skin. Erythematous macules (remnants of previously active inflammatory lesions) decreased in number in treated skin when compared with control skin and there was a transient but significant decrease in inflammatory papules in treated skin when compared with untreated skin. There were no other statistically significant differences between treated and untreated sides of the face in terms of counts of any subtype of acne lesion. Thirty percent of patients were deemed responders to this treatment with respect to improvement in their inflammatory lesion counts, while only 7% of patients responded in terms of noninflammatory lesion counts.


CONCLUSIONS
PDT with the treatment regimen employed here may be beneficial for a subgroup of patients with inflammatory acne.
Orringer
Jeffrey S
JS
Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0314, USA. jorringe@umich.edu
Sachs
Dana L
DL
Bailey
Evans
E
Kang
Sewon
S
Hamilton
Ted
T
Voorhees
John J
JJ
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054025:Lasers, Dye / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid