title: Treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa by photodynamic therapy with aminolevulinic acid: preliminary results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current standard of care for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) includes antibiotics (oral/topical), retinoids (oral/topical) and intralesional steroids and is unsatisfactory. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 20% 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been used ?off label? to treat acne vulgaris and may hold promise as a therapy for HS. This open-label, non-blinded study investigated the efficacy and safety of ALA PDT for the treatment of HS using two blue light sources and intense pulsed light (IPL) for photoactivation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve subjects with active HS enrolled to undergo ALA PDT once weekly for four weeks with follow-up visits 4, 8, and 12 or more weeks later. Nine subjects completed the study through the week 8 follow-up visit. Lesions were counted at each treatment visit at week 4, week 8 and at the final week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean lesion counts were 11.25 at baseline, 6.5 at 4 weeks (50.8% reduction), and 7.5 at 8 weeks (29.9% reduction). Mean Global Severity Scores were 2.2 at baseline, 1.5 at 4 weeks, and 1.8 at 8 weeks. Mean DLQI scores were 17.3 at baseline, 13.1 at 4 weeks (27.2% improvement), 14.00 at 8 weeks (19.3% improvement) and 14.0 (19.3% improvement) at the final week (16-62 weeks). Three subjects (25%) had complete clearance and no active lesions 4 weeks after the final treatment. Treatments were more tolerable for subjects treated with blue light than with IPL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALA PDT may be a safe and effective treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY.
authors: Eric S
authors: ES
authors: Schweiger
authors: Christy C
authors: CC
authors: Riddle
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Aires
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D017497:Hidradenitis Suppurativa / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D059039:Standard of Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid