Papers of the Week

Acne vulgaris, a chronic inflammatory disease, affects more than 90% of teenagers. The first-line treatments for acne vulgaris are topical and oral medications, mainly antibiotics and retinoids. However, antibiotic resistance of Propionibacterium acnes, contraindications, partial response, significant adverse effects, or recurrence creates demand for novel treatment options in acne. Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well-established modality in the treatment of acne. Nevertheless, PDT has limitations: it may not be effective for every patient; several treatments are usually required to achieve sufficient outcome; incubation time is 1-3 hours; treatment pain and post-treatment downtime may be difficult for some patients to endure; and adverse effects may occur. This retrospective chart review was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PDT, assisted by a thermomechanical ablation (TMA) fractional injury device in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe acne.