Rosacea

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 system—which combines light energy and a vacuum apparatus to cleanse pores and destroy bacteria associated with acne vulgaris—was 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 device—which 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 therapies—is 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

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 system—which combines light energy and a vacuum apparatus to cleanse pores and destroy bacteria associated with acne vulgaris—was 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 device—which 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 therapies—is 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

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 system—which combines light energy and a vacuum apparatus to cleanse pores and destroy bacteria associated with acne vulgaris—was 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 device—which 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 therapies—is 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

KISSIMMEE, FLA. — Treatment with a fixed array fractional 1540-nm erbium laser was effective for improving acne scars, a review of 181 patients found.

At 3-month follow-up, the patients who underwent three treatments at 4-week intervals with the Lux1540 laser (Palomar Medical Technologies Inc., Burlington, Mass.) had a median improvement of 3 by Canfield blinded photographic evaluation (Canfield Scientific Inc. Omnia system), which translates to a 50%-75% improvement in scar appearance, Dr. Robert A. Weiss reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Treatments were given using the 10-mm, 100-microbeam per pulse handpiece for a minimum of three passes per treatment site at 10-millisecond pulse duration. Fluence was set at 50–70 mJ/microbeam, said Dr. Weiss of the Maryland Laser, Skin, and Vein Institute, Baltimore.

Self-assessed treatment results indicated that the patients were pleased with the outcomes, with 85% rating their skin as improved. Patient self-assessment indicated that pain was minimal, with a reported average pain score of 2.75 out of 10.

Side effects were minimal and included mild erythema and edema, which resolved in all patients within 24 hours.

The findings suggest that a minimal fluence of 50 mJ/microbeam with three passes is required to achieve improvement in acne scars with this laser, Dr. Weiss noted.

The study was supported by Palomar, which provided Dr. Weiss with equipment, discounts, a research grant, and honoraria.

KISSIMMEE, FLA. — Treatment with a fixed array fractional 1540-nm erbium laser was effective for improving acne scars, a review of 181 patients found.

At 3-month follow-up, the patients who underwent three treatments at 4-week intervals with the Lux1540 laser (Palomar Medical Technologies Inc., Burlington, Mass.) had a median improvement of 3 by Canfield blinded photographic evaluation (Canfield Scientific Inc. Omnia system), which translates to a 50%-75% improvement in scar appearance, Dr. Robert A. Weiss reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Treatments were given using the 10-mm, 100-microbeam per pulse handpiece for a minimum of three passes per treatment site at 10-millisecond pulse duration. Fluence was set at 50–70 mJ/microbeam, said Dr. Weiss of the Maryland Laser, Skin, and Vein Institute, Baltimore.

Self-assessed treatment results indicated that the patients were pleased with the outcomes, with 85% rating their skin as improved. Patient self-assessment indicated that pain was minimal, with a reported average pain score of 2.75 out of 10.

Side effects were minimal and included mild erythema and edema, which resolved in all patients within 24 hours.

The findings suggest that a minimal fluence of 50 mJ/microbeam with three passes is required to achieve improvement in acne scars with this laser, Dr. Weiss noted.

The study was supported by Palomar, which provided Dr. Weiss with equipment, discounts, a research grant, and honoraria.

KISSIMMEE, FLA. — Treatment with a fixed array fractional 1540-nm erbium laser was effective for improving acne scars, a review of 181 patients found.

At 3-month follow-up, the patients who underwent three treatments at 4-week intervals with the Lux1540 laser (Palomar Medical Technologies Inc., Burlington, Mass.) had a median improvement of 3 by Canfield blinded photographic evaluation (Canfield Scientific Inc. Omnia system), which translates to a 50%-75% improvement in scar appearance, Dr. Robert A. Weiss reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Treatments were given using the 10-mm, 100-microbeam per pulse handpiece for a minimum of three passes per treatment site at 10-millisecond pulse duration. Fluence was set at 50–70 mJ/microbeam, said Dr. Weiss of the Maryland Laser, Skin, and Vein Institute, Baltimore.

Self-assessed treatment results indicated that the patients were pleased with the outcomes, with 85% rating their skin as improved. Patient self-assessment indicated that pain was minimal, with a reported average pain score of 2.75 out of 10.

Side effects were minimal and included mild erythema and edema, which resolved in all patients within 24 hours.

The findings suggest that a minimal fluence of 50 mJ/microbeam with three passes is required to achieve improvement in acne scars with this laser, Dr. Weiss noted.

The study was supported by Palomar, which provided Dr. Weiss with equipment, discounts, a research grant, and honoraria.

KISSIMMEE, FLA. — Combined radiofrequency energy and indocyanine green-mediated pulsed light phototherapy proved highly effective for the treatment of acne in a study of 14 Fitzpatrick skin type IV patients with substantial facial acne.

The patients, who were aged 16–35 years (mean age 25 years), and who had at least 10 inflamed facial acne lesions, were treated with 1 mg/mL indocyanine green (ICG) cream, which was applied to the face for 30 minutes and then wiped off. This was followed by combination pulsed light at 580–980 nm, and a radiofrequency device, Syneron Medical Ltd.'s Aurora SR, at an optical energy of 18–22 J/cm

The patients, who received no topical or oral acne medications in the 2 months prior to study initiation, received three treatments at 4-week intervals. Lesion count decreased by 18%, 49%, 68%, and 76%, at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks, respectively, after the initial treatment, said Dr. Rho of the Leaders Clinic in Seoul, South Korea.

Follow-up at 1, 4, 7, and 14 days after each treatment showed that side effects were minimal, and included only transient stinging and slight peeling, said Dr. Rho, who reported that he had no financial disclosures associated with his presentation.

ICG-mediated near-infrared light phototherapy has received a great deal of attention for the treatment of acne because of its sebaceous gland selectivity and high penetration depth. In addition, radiofrequency energy is known to reduce sebum production. Together, these treatments can substantially reduce the number of acne lesions, he said.

A 31-year-old female patient is shown before treatment (top). Improvement is seen after one session (bottom). Photos courtesy Dr. Nark-Kyoung Rho

ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS

KISSIMMEE, FLA. — Combined radiofrequency energy and indocyanine green-mediated pulsed light phototherapy proved highly effective for the treatment of acne in a study of 14 Fitzpatrick skin type IV patients with substantial facial acne.

The patients, who were aged 16–35 years (mean age 25 years), and who had at least 10 inflamed facial acne lesions, were treated with 1 mg/mL indocyanine green (ICG) cream, which was applied to the face for 30 minutes and then wiped off. This was followed by combination pulsed light at 580–980 nm, and a radiofrequency device, Syneron Medical Ltd.'s Aurora SR, at an optical energy of 18–22 J/cm

The patients, who received no topical or oral acne medications in the 2 months prior to study initiation, received three treatments at 4-week intervals. Lesion count decreased by 18%, 49%, 68%, and 76%, at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks, respectively, after the initial treatment, said Dr. Rho of the Leaders Clinic in Seoul, South Korea.

Follow-up at 1, 4, 7, and 14 days after each treatment showed that side effects were minimal, and included only transient stinging and slight peeling, said Dr. Rho, who reported that he had no financial disclosures associated with his presentation.

ICG-mediated near-infrared light phototherapy has received a great deal of attention for the treatment of acne because of its sebaceous gland selectivity and high penetration depth. In addition, radiofrequency energy is known to reduce sebum production. Together, these treatments can substantially reduce the number of acne lesions, he said.

A 31-year-old female patient is shown before treatment (top). Improvement is seen after one session (bottom). Photos courtesy Dr. Nark-Kyoung Rho

ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS

KISSIMMEE, FLA. — Combined radiofrequency energy and indocyanine green-mediated pulsed light phototherapy proved highly effective for the treatment of acne in a study of 14 Fitzpatrick skin type IV patients with substantial facial acne.

The patients, who were aged 16–35 years (mean age 25 years), and who had at least 10 inflamed facial acne lesions, were treated with 1 mg/mL indocyanine green (ICG) cream, which was applied to the face for 30 minutes and then wiped off. This was followed by combination pulsed light at 580–980 nm, and a radiofrequency device, Syneron Medical Ltd.'s Aurora SR, at an optical energy of 18–22 J/cm

The patients, who received no topical or oral acne medications in the 2 months prior to study initiation, received three treatments at 4-week intervals. Lesion count decreased by 18%, 49%, 68%, and 76%, at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks, respectively, after the initial treatment, said Dr. Rho of the Leaders Clinic in Seoul, South Korea.

Follow-up at 1, 4, 7, and 14 days after each treatment showed that side effects were minimal, and included only transient stinging and slight peeling, said Dr. Rho, who reported that he had no financial disclosures associated with his presentation.

ICG-mediated near-infrared light phototherapy has received a great deal of attention for the treatment of acne because of its sebaceous gland selectivity and high penetration depth. In addition, radiofrequency energy is known to reduce sebum production. Together, these treatments can substantially reduce the number of acne lesions, he said.

A 31-year-old female patient is shown before treatment (top). Improvement is seen after one session (bottom). Photos courtesy Dr. Nark-Kyoung Rho

ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS