KISSIMMEE, FLA. Photopneumatic therapy is highly effective and nearly painless for the treatment of acne vulgaris, according to Dr. Michael Gold.
The recently approved Aesthera PPx laser systemwhich combines light energy and a vacuum apparatus to cleanse pores and destroy bacteria associated with acne vulgariswas used to treat both pustular and comedonal acne in an open-label study involving 11 patients with mild to moderate acne, Dr. Gold said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
Up to four treatments were provided at 3-week intervals, and all of the patients experienced significant and rapid clearing of their lesions, he reported.
Drying and flattening of the lesions were noted within 2 days of treatment in more than half of the patients, and most experienced sustained clearance at 3-month follow-up with a 78% reduction in inflammatory lesions, and up to a 70% reduction in noninflammatory lesions, Dr. Gold said.
Reported pain was minimal in more than 85% of patients, and 82% of patients said they were moderately or very satisfied with the outcomes.
Adverse events included only slight dryness post treatment, which was managed with application of a daily moisturizer, he said.
The findings are comparable with those from other studies of this device as reported in the literature, all of which have demonstrated its efficacy for the treatment of acne, said Dr. Gold of the Tennessee Clinical Research Center in Nashville.
Given that more than one-third of dermatology visits are associated with acne, this devicewhich is the only device that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat both comedonal and inflammatory acne, and which appears to be effective even in those patients who are nonresponders to traditional therapiesis a welcome addition to the acne treatment armamentarium, he concluded.
The study was sponsored by Aesthera Corp., which provided equipment, discounts, travel expenses, a research grant, and honoraria to Dr. Gold.
Photo at left shows a patient before treatment with the photopneumatic device. Photo at right shows improvement of the patient's acne after receiving four treatments over an interval of 3 weeks. Photos courtesty Dr. Michael Gold/Tennessee Clinical Research Center
