Search Results
Abstract
Backgrounds: Skin wounds are a kind of refractory disease frequently encountered in clinic, which brings enormous burden to patients. Great efforts to address the dilemma of wound healing have yielded some encouraging results, but they are still unsatisfactory. 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been developed as a promising noninvasive treatment for skin wounds. A systematic review was performed to determine the existing evidence base for the clinical use of ALA-PDT on refractory wounds.
Methods: We conducted a PubMed search for English literature related to the clinical treatment of human skin ulcers by ALA-PDT published from 2012 to 2022, and performed a systematic review.
Results: 25 studies were ultimately selected in the present review and summarized, including six studies of skin cancer, five studies of chronic leg ulcers, three studies of erosive pustular skin diseases, and two studies of erosive oral lichen planus symptoms. A total of 335 patients had approximately 355 ulcers, of which 315 ulcers received photodynamic therapy and 276 improved with ALA-PDT. 20% ALA solution, wavelength between 600 nm and 670 nm, energy density of 120 J/cm2, frequency of once per week and 3 sessions were the most selected therapeutic parameters. Generally, ALA-PDT for wounds was effective with main adverse events of mild to moderate pain, and follow-up was generally conducted within 1 year.
Conclusions: This systematic review summarized the commonly used therapeutic parameters for ALA-PDT in the clinical treatment of skin wounds. After ALA-PDT alone or ALA-PDT combined with curettage, antibacterial and surgical treatment, all wounds healed well, and the adverse reactions were mainly mild to moderate pain, which could be relieved by cooling. ALA-PDT had proven to be a promising wound treatment modality through evidence of safety and efficacy.
Background: The Noveon is a unique dual-wavelength near-infrared diode laser used to treat onychomycosis. The device operates at physiologic temperatures that are thermally safe for human tissue. It uses only 870- and 930-nm near-infrared light, wavelengths that have unique photolethal effects on fungal pathogens. These wavelengths lack the teratogenic danger presented by ultraviolet light and the photoablation toxic plume associated with pulsed Nd:YAG lasers.
Methods: In this randomized controlled study, treatments followed a predefined protocol and laser parameters and occurred on days 1, 14, 42, and 120. Toes were cultured and evaluated, and measurements were taken from standardized photographs obtained periodically during the 180 day follow-up period.
Results: We treated mycologically confirmed onychomycosis in 26 eligible toes (ten mild, seven moderate, and nine severe). All of the patients were followed-up for 180 days. An independent expert panel, blinded regarding treatment versus control, found that at 180 days, 85% of the eligible treated toenails were improved by clear nail linear extent (P = .0015); 65% showed at least 3 mm and 26% showed at least 4 mm of clear nail growth. Of the 16 toes with moderate to severe involvement, ten (63%) improved, as shown by clear nail growth of at least 3 mm (P = .0112). Simultaneous negative culture and periodic acid–Schiff was noted in 30% at 180 days.
Conclusions: These results indicate a role for this laser in the treatment of onychomycosis, regardless of degree of severity. Ease of delivery and the lack of a need to monitor blood chemistry are attractive attributes. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 100(3): 166–177, 2010)
Onychomycosis is the most common nail disorder, with a global prevalence of approximately 5.5%. It is difficult to cure on both short-term and long-term bases. The most common treatments include the use of oral or topical antifungals. Recurrent infections are common, and the use of systemic oral antifungals raises concerns of hepatotoxicity and drug-drug interactions, particularly in patients with polypharmacy. A number of device-based treatments have been developed for onychomycosis treatment, to either directly treat fungal infection or act as adjuvants to increase the efficacy of topical and oral agents. These device-based treatments have been increasing in popularity over the past several years, and include photodynamic therapy, iontophoresis, plasma, microwaves, ultrasound, nail drilling, and lasers. Some, such as photodynamic therapy, provide more direct treatment, whereas others, such as ultrasound and nail drilling, aid the uptake of traditional antifungals. We conducted a systematic literature search investigating the efficacy of these device-based treatment methods. From an initial result of 841 studies, 26 were deemed relevant to the use of device-based treatments of onychomycosis. This review examines these methods and provides insight into the state of clinical research for each. Many device-based treatments show promising results, but require more research to assess their true impact on onychomycosis.
