Photodynamic therapy could assist hidradenitis suppurativa treatment

Photodynamic therapy could be a beneficial second-line therapy for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa, according to a poster presented at the EADV Congress virtual meeting.

“A few years ago, intralesional photodynamic therapy for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa was described with promising results,” Juan Garcias-Ladaria, MD, of the department of dermatology at Hospital Universitari Son Espases in Palma, Spain, said in his presentation.

Garcias-Ladaria and fellow researchers conducted a case series of 137 HS lesions in 52 patients. Most lesions were treated with PDT once, while 13 lesions had more than one PDT session. After 3 months, 33 lesions (24.1%) had cleared, with 83 (60.6%) improving and 21 (15.3%) having no change. After 6 months, complete remission occurred in 41 lesions (34.8%), while 37 (31.4%) had no change.

Adverse events included skin burns in 61 lesions and abscess formation in eight lesions.

“Conventional PDT is regarded as a second-line therapeutic option in HS,” Garcias-Ladaria said. “Our results and the previously published show how IL-PDT is useful in most patients.”