Search

Background: Topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective treatment for actinic keratosis (AK) with some transient adverse events. Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of two different light doses when treating AKs with ALA-PDT on the face/scalp. Methods: Thirty-eight patients with two histologically confirmed AKs were enrolled in the within-patient comparison study. ALA-PDT was performed twice with two weeks interval for each AK. Patients were randomized to receive a light dose of 70 or 100 J/cm2 as their first split face/scalp treatment. Follow-up examinations were carried out at months 3 and 6. Efficacy end point included clinical/histological AK clearance rate. Results: No significant difference in therapeutic efficacy and adverse events of ALA-PDT was found between the two light doses at both follow-up visits. At months 3 and 6 after PDT the rate of complete remission were respectively 100% and 92.1% for 70 J/cm2, 92.1% and 84.2% for 100 J/cm2. The adverse events of the treatment were rosacea 5/76 (6.58%), hyperpigmentation 4/76 (5.26%), hypopigmentation 4/76 (5.26%), transient milia 3/76 (3.95%). Conclusions: The topical ALA-PDT with the red light dose of 70 J/cm2 is an effective treatment for mild and moderate AKs on the face/scalp with expected adverse events of pigmentation changes, rosacea and transient milia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the association between acne and the quality of life among children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1277 schoolchildren aged 7-19 years in three schools of Kaunas city, Lithuania. The diagnosis of acne was confirmed by a specially trained dermatologist when there were any acne lesions on the face, back or chest. The severity of acne was measured according to the Leeds revised acne grading scale. After clinical examination, the participants were asked to fill out the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI). The overall prevalence of acne (82.9%) was strongly age-dependent with highest rates among adolescents. Acne had no impact on the quality of life for more than one-half (63.6%) of schoolchildren with acne. Respectively, for 29.5%, 5.0%, and 1.8% of schoolchildren acne had slight, medium, and strong impact on their quality of life. The impairment of the quality of life was associated with puberty and the duration of acne. The association of acne with the quality of life was stronger among schoolchildren with moderate or severe acne compared to schoolchildren with mild acne (OR 4.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.4-17.3). The quality of life was only weakly associated with the prevalence of acne among schoolchildren in Lithuanian schools. However, in more severe forms of acne, longer acne duration, and after puberty, the impact of this skin disease on their quality of life became more substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]