Clinical efficacy of 5-aminolevnlinic acid-based photodynamic therapy for the treatment of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus / 中华皮肤科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To estimate the efficacy and safety of 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) in the treatment of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus of the vulva.Methods An open and noncontrolled clinical study was performed.Forty-two patients were enrolled in this study and received ALA-PDT once every two weeks for 2 to 4 times.Follow-up visits were arranged at 2,4 and 8 weeks after initiation of treatment,and patients were evaluated at the baseline (before treatment) and all the follow-up time points for the efficacy and safety of treatment.Results Finally,38 patients completed the trial and 4 patients were lost to follow up.The total response rate was 81.6％ (31/38) at the end of the treatment.The average symptom and sign score in these patients was significantly lower at 2,4 and 8 weeks after initiation of treatment than that before treatment (17.6 ± 10.18,11.6 ± 8.35 and 7.6 ± 5.93 vs.29.3 ± 9.17,t =5.26,8.80,12.22,respectively,all P ＜ 0.01).A significant improvement was also observed in the other aspects,such as skin lesion area,hypopigmentation,erosion/rhagades and itching score at 2,4 and 8 weeks,as well as in skin atrophy at 8 weeks after initiation of treatment compared with those before treatment (all P ＜ 0.05).Local burning sensation was the main adverse reaction to ALA-PDT,and 16％ (6/38) of these patients complained of severe pain during the first treatment.Conclusion ALA-PDT shows favorable efficacy in patients with lichen sclerosus et atrophicus of the vulva with a rapid onset of action.