Treatment of Mild to Moderate Inflammatory Acne: MATERIALS AND METHOD
Materials
We studied 10 healthy subjects of both genders (6 women, 4 men) with an age range of 20 to 29 years (mean age 24.7 years) with acne vulgaris on the face (KAGS; Korean acne grading system grade 3-5). They were enrolled from March 2005 to April 2005. All patients were Fitzpatrick photo skin type II-III and their degree of pigmentation varied from light to medium. Exclusion criteria included serious intercurrent illness, infections, pregnancy or lactation, women of childbearing age not using effective contraception, systemic antibiotics taken in the past two weeks, or systemic retinoids used in the past one year. Any patient with a photosensitivity disorder and those planning excessive sun light exposure were also excluded. All patients gave informed consent for the procedure and alternative treatments were discussed.
Method
The area to be treated was prepared with 70% alcohol to enhance ALA penetration; then 20% ALA (5-ALA®; Medac, Wedel, Germany + Base Sama oint@; Samapharm, Seoul, Korea) was applied for 60 minutes under an occlusive dressing with plastic film. Application of a wavelength band ranging from 530 nm to 720 nm was used a taking advance of the principle of dual mode filtering. The average energy level was 8.5-11.0 J/cm2 (mean 9.4 J/cm2) given by intense pulsed light (Ellipse®; DDD, Horsholm, Denmark). All patients underwent two sessions of PDT at four-week intervals. A single operator used identical techniques and protocols for all treatments. Patients were instructed to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and to avoid UVA and UVB light for 24 hours after each treatment. Each subject’s acne was visually assessed at baseline and eight weeks after the second treatment, using the KAGS criteria for acne. At the follow-up visit, all patients were placed in front of a mirror with built in illumination. They were asked to evaluate the outcome based on comparison with photos taken before treatment. The presence of patient side effects was evaluated at every visit. Routine hematological, hepatic, and renal function studies and urinalysis were performed at baseline and the study endpoint. Viagra Online Canadian Pharmacy
The statistical analysis performed was the Wil- coxon signed rank test used to compare baseline changes in acne lesion count.
