Resumo

Objectives: Our study aimed to analyze the effects of ethosome gold photothermal therapy for acne. Introduction: Acne, a prevalent skin disease primarily observed during adolescence, is characterized by the involvement of pilosebaceous units. Although numerous treatment options are available for acne, they often come with undesirable side effects such as antibiotic resistance, teratogenicity, and skin irritation. Therefore, there is a compelling need to develop alternative treatments that are more effective and safe for managing acne. Materials / method: A total of 24 patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris, who visited the dermatologic clinic, were enrolled in this study. All patients received three successive treatments at 2 to 3-week intervals. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. The first group underwent CO2 fractional laser treatment on the acne lesions on the face before applying an ethosome gold nanoparticle ampule. An ethosome gold nanoparticle ampule was applied with sonophoresis for the second group without a CO2 fractional laser. Subsequently, for all patients, long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser treatment was irradiated Results: Significant reductions in acne lesions were observed after using gold photothermal therapy in both groups. According to the Physician Global Assessment, all patients showed an average improvement of more than 50% in their condition. Histopathological findings revealed decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrotic changes in the dermis after ethosome gold photothermal therapy. In patients who underwent blood sampling, the gold levels in the blood were below the detection limit. (<3.0 ㎍/kg) Conclusion: Ethosome gold photothermal therapy showed significant clinical and histological improvements in acne vulgaris in Asians without serious adverse effects. Using the CO2 fractional laser to accelerate the gold nanoparticles will be another option for the treatment.