ObjectiveRaynaud’s phenomenon consists of vasospastic disease of the digital arteries after exposure to cold or stress. It causes an important reduction in the patient’s quality of life when severe. The available treatments do not always offer favorable results.MethodsA 3-year retrospective study was presented. A total of 15 patients with severe Raynaud’s phenomenon who required infiltration with botulinum toxin type A participated in the study. In the first and follow-up visits (30 min, 7 days, 3 months, 6 months, and annual), the overall response by the patient was assessed as was the reduction in the number of weekly episodes of Raynaud’s phenomenon, improvement in pain by means of the Visual Analogue Scale, and resolution of ulcers and necrosis as efficacy variables.ResultsA total of 15 patients were included in the study. After 30 min of infiltration, the immediate results showed a very good perception of response in four patients. After 1 month of treatment, eight patients had obtained and maintained a very good response, persisting throughout the study. A statistically significant reduction in pain was obtained, as well as the number of weekly episodes of Raynaud’s phenomenon. Of the seven patients with basal ulcers, five were completely healed at 3 months. Of the patients, 64.3% showed an overall satisfaction level of >8 at the end of treatment. No serious adverse events were observed.ConclusionBotulinum toxin is a useful treatment for severe Raynaud’s phenomenon that is generally well tolerated. Its mechanism of action is not based exclusively on vasodilation. Further studies are necessary to define the ideal patient for this treatment, the most appropriate method of administration, and the number of units and frequency of the infiltrations.

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BackgroundGuidelines recommend treating actinic keratoses (AKs) as they are recognized as precursors of invasive squamous cell carcinoma.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to collect real‐world clinical data on the use of methyl aminolevulinate daylight photodynamic therapy (MAL DL‐PDT) for the treatment of face and scalp AK in Europe.MethodsA prospective, multicenter, non‐interventional study was conducted in six European countries in patients receiving a single treatment of MAL DL‐PDT for face and/or scalp AK. Patient‐reported outcomes were assessed by patient questionnaires at baseline and at 3 months after treatment, efficacy was assessed at 3 months using a 6‐point global improvement scale, and adverse events (AE) were recorded at each visit.ResultsOverall, 325 patients were enrolled from 52 investigational centres, 314 of whom attended the 3‐month visit. Most patients had multiple lesions (58.4% had >10 lesions) with lesions mainly located on the scalp (60.0%) and/or forehead (54.2%). AKs were predominantly grade I (39.4%) or grade II (33.2%), and 10.5% of patients had grade III lesions. The proportions of patients and physicians that were overall satisfied to very satisfied with the MAL DL‐PDT treatment were 80.4% and 90.3%, respectively. The vast majority of patients (90.0%) would consider using MAL DL‐PDT again if needed. Physician‐assessed efficacy at 3 months was at least much improved in 83.5% of patients, with 45.9% of patients requiring no retreatment. Related AEs were reported in 15% of patients.ConclusionUse of MAL DL‐PDT for multiple face and/or scalp AKs resulted in high levels of patient and physician satisfaction in clinical practice in Europe, reflecting the good efficacy and high tolerability of this convenient procedure.

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