ALA-PDT combined with antibiotics for the treatment of atypical mycobacterial skin infections: Outcomes and safety

Combined Antimicrobial Activity of Photodynamic Inactivation and Antimicrobials–State of the Art

“…This procedure was repeated every 10 days for 3-5 sessions with a combination of antibiotics (e.g., clarithromycin, moxifloxacin hydrochloride, or amikacin). All of the patients did not present any signs of recurrence 3 months after with combined treatment (Sun et al, 2017 ). More evidence of the enhanced bactericidal efficacy of an aPDI and antibiotics combination was presented by one patient with multiple skin abscesses caused by M. fortuitum .…”

A combination of photodynamic therapy and antimicrobial compounds to treat skin and mucosal infections: a systematic review

“…Attrition bias risk was considered unclear in all cases, because the loss of patients was not reported but it is not known whether other patients refused the treatment or did not finish it. In the clinical cases (one patient per study except in that of Sun et al with four patients), these are not clinical trials with a significant number of patients 19 . Reporting bias risk also was considered unclear: the study protocols are available but the possible results are not prewritten and the results are reported descriptively.…”

Successful treatment of atypical mycobacteriosis of the scalp with photodynamic therapy

“…To our knowledge, only few cases of AM treated with PDT have been reported in the literature until now. [1][2][3] Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that PDT can treat and kill both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the nontuberculous mycobacteria. [4][5][6] The efficacy of PDT is thought to lie in the development of high concentrations of singlet oxygen, with a selective action on the affected tissue and minimal damage to the normal adjacent tissues.…”

“…2 Intralesional 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT has also been reported in the presence of abscessual or ulcerated AM lesions, using a semiconductor laser optical fiber, with successful outcomes. 2,3 Recently, Gong and colleagues 2 successfully treated a patient presenting AM abscesses of the hands thanks to the combination of systemic antibiotics and intralesional 5-ALA-PDT. One year later, Sun et al 3 reported that 5-ALA-PDT combined with systemic antibiotics had achieved good results in the treatment of four cases of AM presenting suppuration and/or ulceration; moreover, the duration of the antibiotic therapy could be shortened thanks to PDT.…”

“…2,3 Recently, Gong and colleagues 2 successfully treated a patient presenting AM abscesses of the hands thanks to the combination of systemic antibiotics and intralesional 5-ALA-PDT. One year later, Sun et al 3 reported that 5-ALA-PDT combined with systemic antibiotics had achieved good results in the treatment of four cases of AM presenting suppuration and/or ulceration; moreover, the duration of the antibiotic therapy could be shortened thanks to PDT. In the abovementioned reports, [1][2][3] the number of PDT sessions ranged from 3 to 5; none of the patients showed any recurrences during the follow-up period.…”