Low-Dose Topical 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Different Severity of Acne Vulgaris.
The objective of this article is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 3.6 % topical aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and a short incubation time with red light in moderate to severe acne. One hundred and thirty-six patients with moderate to severe acne were treated with 3.6 % topical ALA-PDT for three sessions with an interval of 2 weeks. Patients were evaluated for efficacy and safety on week 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 after the initial treatment. Most patients showed apparent clearance of acne lesions at the treated site after three sessions. The effective treatment rates were increased after the multiple therapies. The clinical outcomes are the best at 4 weeks after the final treatment. The total effectiveness rate and cure rate of the low-dose ALA-PDT procedure is 92.65 and 47.06 %, respectively. Thirty-one patients and nineteen patients showed apparent exacerbation of acne lesions before the 2nd and 3rd treatment, respectively, but all of them showed good or excellent improvement after a three-course treatment. A few patients showed mild relapse including papules and comedos at 8 weeks after the final treatment. No significant differences are found in the effects of different acne severity and different genders. Adverse reactions are mild and transient. A 3.6 % topical ALA-PDT with a short time incubation with red light is a simple and an effective treatment option for moderate to severe acne with mild side effects in Chinese people.
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China. 13915321981@163.com.
Shi-Qin
SQ
Tao
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China.
Fei
F
Li
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China.
Lei
L
Cao
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China.
Ru-Shan
RS
Xia
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China.
Hua
H
Fan
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China.
Ying
Y
Fan
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China.
Hui
H
Sun
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China.
Cheng
C
Jing
Department of Dermatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, 214001, China. yanglijia726@163.com.
Li-Jia
LJ
Yang
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy
D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid
Acne vulgaris; Aminolevulinic acid; Different severity; Photodynamic