Photodynamic therapy of multiple actinic keratoses: reduced pain through use of visible light plus water-filtered infrared A compared with light from light-emitting diodes.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with methyl aminolaevulinate (MAL) is an effective treatment for multiple actinic keratoses (AKs). Pain, however, is a major side-effect. OBJECTIVES: To compare pain intensity, efficacy, safety and cosmetic outcome of MAL PDT with two different light sources in an investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind study. METHODS: Eighty patients with multiple AKs grade I-II were assigned to two groups: group 1, MAL PDT with visible light and water-filtered infrared A (VIS+wIRA); group 2, MAL PDT with light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), with a further division into two subgroups: A, no spray cooling; B, spray cooling on demand. MAL was applied 3 h before light treatment. Pain was assessed before, during and after PDT. Efficacy, side-effects, cosmetic outcome and patient satisfaction were documented after 2 weeks and 3, 6 and 12 months. Where necessary, treatment was repeated after 3 months. RESULTS: Seventy-six of the 80 patients receiving MAL PDT completed the study. Patient assessment showed high efficacy, very good cosmetic outcome and high patient satisfaction. The efficacy of treatment was better in the group of patients without spray cooling (P=0·00022 at 3 months, P=0·0068 at 6 months) and showed no significant differences between VIS+wIRA and LED. VIS+wIRA was significantly less painful than LED: the median of maximum pain was lower in the VIS+wIRA group than in the LED group for PDT without spray cooling. Pain duration and severity assessed retrospectively were less with VIS+wIRA than with LED, irrespective of cooling. CONCLUSIONS: All treatments showed high efficacy with good cosmetic outcome and high patient satisfaction. Efficacy of treatment was better without spray cooling. VIS+wIRA PDT was less painful than LED PDT for PDT without spray cooling.

Amoxicillin-induced exanthema in young adults with infectious mononucleosis: demonstration of drug-specific lymphocyte reactivity.

BACKGROUND: Teenagers and young adults frequently develop maculopapular exanthema following amoxicillin intake within infectious mononucleosis. The underlying pathomechanisms are still largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether amoxicillin-induced exanthema in florid infectious mononucleosis is a disease-associated phenomenon or results from specific sensitization to the drug. METHODS: Four patients with amoxicillin-induced exanthema within infectious mononucleosis were analysed in vivo by prick, intradermal and patch tests and in vitro by means of the lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) employing amoxicillin, ampicillin, benzylpenicillin and phenoxymethylpenicillin. RESULTS: Drug-specific sensitization to amoxicillin in the LTT was observed in three patients, two of whom showed a side-chain-specific sensitization to amoxicillin and ampicillin. The in vitro results were confirmed in vivo by skin tests. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that real sensitization to amoxicillin and ampicillin may occur within infectious mononucleosis and may be detected in vivo and in vitro by means of skin tests and the LTT.