PDT (Photodynamic Therapy) to Treat Acne Vulgaris on Asian Skin

• PDT (Photodynamic therapy) acts through the elimination of the bacteria Propinibacterium Acnes
• Short contact with the photosensitizing substance is enough (less than 90 minutes vs around 4 hours for conventionnal indications)
• More effective for papulopustular lesions (vs comedonal)
• phototypes II and III carry a lower risk of (postinflammatory hyperpigmentation) PIH following treatment.

• The authors did a study:
  • 13 patients divided into 2 groups:
    • ALA (aminolevulinic acid) at a concentration of 20% in 6 patients
    • 5% ALA in 7 patients
  • The number of inflammatory papules was performed before and after the tratment:
    • ALA 20%: the number of lesions dropped from 15 to 3
    • ALA 5%: the number of lesions dropped from 18 to 7

Conclusion: ALA 5% is a suitable treatment option knowing that the advent of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was a lot lower than for ALA 20%.

Contributors

Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland

Theng C. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) in Asians. Photodermatosis and Ethnicity in Asian Skin. 2014 (4) – 21st Regional Conference of Dermatology; Danang (Vietnam)