A combination treatment of drug-laser-photon for melasma: A retrospective study of clinical cases.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Combinational therapy such as taking tranexamic acid while using laser treatment has been proved potential efficacy by many experiments. However, there is few research which contains large samples and consistent observations. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated clinical efficacy and safety of a new systemic treatment of drug-laser-photon therapy. METHODS: Retrospective and randomized investigator-blinded study of 75 patients with mixed type melasma was analyzed. At each visit, standardized photographs were taken using VISIA. Modified melasma area and severity index (mMASI) scores were marked using photographs by two dermatologists. RESULTS: The mMASI score decreased significantly from 6.92 to 3.84 after the treatment. The VISIA analyze right cheek data shows Spots (from 49.67 ± 3.43 to 56.09 ± 3.31), UV spots (from 41.39 ± 24.45 to 44.56 ± 25.86), and Brown spots (from 23.97 ± 17.89 to 28.16 ± 21.28) are statistically increased (p = 0.035, p = 0.018, p = 0.07). All patients feel varying degrees of improvement, about 10.17% felt very much improved, 30.51% felt much improved (51%-75%), 45.76% felt moderately improved (26%-50%), and 13.56% felt little improved (1%-25%). LIMITATIONS: This study was no control group. CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety profile of the combination of drug-laser-photon therapy systemic treatment in melasma patients has been proved. It has potential possibility to become a new, reliable, widely suitable therapy strategy.