title: Fast elimination of onychomycosis by hematoporphyrin derivative-photodynamic therapy.
abstract: Onychomycosis is a fungal nail disease and is one of the major onychopathy worldwide. Topical or oral antifungal therapies are used to treat this disease, but often they are inefficient and oral medications can even cause several side effects. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well established technique and hence, may represent an alternative non invasive technique for the treatment of onychomycosis. In this work, we present a case of onychomycosis that was completely cured by using the porphyrin-photodynamic therapy. A 59-year-old patient, who had two nails with onychomycosis (the right and the left hallux, with more than thirty and ten years, respectively) caused by fungi was treated once a week for a period of six weeks. The nails were first treated and prepared by a specialist. An hour after the photosensitization, the nail was illuminated using a light source based on light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the red wavelength (630 nm, at a total dose of 54 J/cm(2)).
authors.affiliation: University of Sao Paulo, Physics Institute of Sao Carlos, 13566-590 Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula da
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kurachi
authors.forename: Vanderlei Salvador
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Bagnato
authors.forename: Natalia Mayumi
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Inada
mesh_terms: D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D006415:Hematoporphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006415:Hematoporphyrins; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents
keywords: Onychomycosis; Photodynamic inactivation; Photodynamic therapy; Photogem(®); Photosensitizer