Combined Low-Dose Isotretinoin and Pulsed Dye Laser Versus standard-Dose Isotretinoin in the Treatment of Inflammatory Acne.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Acne is a widespread disorder of the pilosebaceous unit. Isotretinoin is the background treatment of cases of severe acne. Side effects associated with the standard 0.5-1 mg/kg/day dose decrease patient compliance. Pulsed dye laser (PDL) was proved effective in the management of inflammatory acne. The focus was to evaluate the efficacy of combining low-dose isotretinoin (0.25 mg/kg/day) with PDL in comparison with the standard higher-dose isotretinoin (0.5 mg/kg/day) as monotherapy for the management of acne vulgaris.

STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current prospective randomized comparative study included 46 acne patients, who were randomly divided into two groups. The first (ISO/PDL group) was treated with oral isotretinoin (0.25 mg/kg/day) and five sessions of PDL. The second (ISO group) was treated with oral isotretinoin (0.5 mg/kg/day). The physician's clinical assessment was done by three blinded dermatologists using quartile scale score and erythema score at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months and global acne grading system (GAGS) at baseline and 6 months. Patient satisfaction was assessed using the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI).

RESULTS

Both groups showed a significant improvement in all assessed parameters compared with baseline at 3 and 6 months. Comparing both groups together, the ISO/PDL group showed a statistically significantly greater improvement regarding all parameters at both assessment times. Regarding adverse events, six patients (26%) suffered from flare in the ISO group versus none in the combined group. Dryness was encountered in 20 patients (86%) in the ISO group versus five patients (21%) in the other group. The ISO/PDL group received significantly less cumulative isotretinoin dosage (48.7 ± 5.7 mg/kg) in comparison to the ISO group (100.4 ± 3.1 mg/kg) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The current study offers a new collaboration between two well-studied and established treatment modalities leading to a harmony of therapeutic synergism while minimizing the risk of side effects. Longer periods of follow-up are recommended to diagnose any relapses and modify the proposed protocol. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.